The NASVI is a coalition of 350 trade unions and voluntary organizations working for the protection and promotion of the rights of street vendors in India. Basically its a super-guild for street vendors, like SEWA is for women (in fact NASVI is an offshoot of SEWA-Ahmedabad). Their top priorities are to establish the legal rights of street vendors (where they can hawk their goods, etc), create places for them in the urban planning documents (wide sidewalks, easy access to the roads, etc), and establish credit and social security services for them (many banks will not loan to poor self-employed people).

  NASVI is a new organization, currently with only 8 full- and part- time employees to deal with the broad mandate they have given themselves. Thus they are still trying to nail down the basics of the organization before they can really get going. Right now they are trying to establish who has governing power as well as exactly what its relationship to its member organizations will be. It is still testing out programs and issues to find its place in the broad spectrum of advocacy. But in any case they seem like they have their feet beneath them, their ears to the wind, and their hearts in the right place. They're perfectly positioned to really start making a difference in the lives of Indian street vendors.

  NASVI was only founded in 1998 and became a HIP partner in July of 2001. We haven't given them any money yet, but I am right now looking at a proposal they sent us which is asking for 38,98,000 Rupees (about $83,000). Whether they will be funded or not remains to be seen, but we would definitely like to give them money.

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