ASSIST (Building Ideal Communities)

About Us

ASSIST is a registered non-governmental organization working for the development of poor and marginalized communities in rural areas of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India. ASSIST was founded in 1985 on the premise that development in India can only take place in proportion to the development of Village-India. For more than three decades, ASSIST has transformed thousands of lives by committing itself to the poorest of the poor, in areas where no other NGO has gone before. ASSIST helps the most underprivileged members of society, but it does so with a difference. The organization’s proven and sustainable approach focuses on the comprehensive development of its target communities. A unique feature of this approach is the development of innovative and adaptable strategies based on continuous communication at the community level. ASSIST helps communities to find answers for themselves by giving all its members an active and participatory role right from the beginning. ASSIST does not work for the people, but with the people in order to achieve the overall objective: making a community a viable unit for its own development. ASSIST is a secular NGO founded in 1985 by J. Ranga Rao (Operational Director) and K.S.R. Murthy (Executive Director). They were inspired by the ideology of the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi. He once said that “there is no freedom for India unless its villages are free” and that “independence must begin at the bottom”. ASSIST’s work strongly reflects this ideology. ASSIST is convinced that development in India can only take place when its most underprivileged members are able to fight with strength, courage and confidence for their own political, economic and social needs. It believes that rural communities, when given a chance, can find solutions for their problems and bring positive change to their own lives, and to those of the future generations.

Vision &
Mission

• To build model communities where equality, opportunity, and dignity are accessible to all. To inspire a socially responsible society driven by development, compassion, and collective growth.
• To empower communities through education, health, skill development, and social awareness. To create sustainable, inclusive, and self-reliant neighborhoods that uplift every individual.