We foster the talents and skills of women and girls in Tamil Nadu, India, so they can lift themselves out of poverty permanently.

We were founded by Dr Laurie Green, Christopher Brown (former CEO of the NSPCC) and his brother Philip Brown in 2000. Having visited the ancient city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, all three wanted to address the unimaginable poverty witnessed in the surrounding villages.

Registering as a charity in the UK in 2008, until 2020 we were known as Friends of the Poor in South India. Our recent name change to Building Better Futures International reflects our approach as enablers of self-help, providing the missing building blocks for families and communities to build their own futures.

Our projects provide new skills, education, and the start-up tools required for women and children to create sustainable employment and learning. This creates security and relief from poverty and exploitation. With greater autonomy and independence families are able to begin investing in their own futures – choices we take for granted.

We work exclusively through trusted, long-term local partners in Tamil Nadu, visiting projects yearly to check on quality and progress and discuss emerging community needs. Every pound we raise goes directly on the Indian projects: all costs incurred the UK are met by Trustees and volunteers.

We are immensely proud and grateful for the support of our donors. We strive to be transparent about our spend, to create self-sustaining projects, and to make real reductions in the burden of poverty.