NiVan Foundation
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About Us

People first. Always. Walking with communities through care, dignity, and lasting change.

Our Story

How NiVan Was Born

It began with a conversation about loss.

NiVan's journey began not with a business plan, but with a deeply human conversation.

While working together on a technology venture, the founders found themselves discussing something far removed from technology, loss, grief, and what happens to the people left behind.

One of them, an Indian Army veteran, spoke about losing his wife suddenly. She was just 34 years old. There was no warning. One day she was there. The next day, she wasn't.

He was someone trained to remain composed in difficult situations, disciplined, structured and accustomed to dealing with uncertainty. But grief was different. There was no training for it. No manual. No system to tell him what to do next.

Two people in a quiet conversation

“People are prepared for many things in life. They are rarely prepared for grief.”

Evening light on a ghat along the Ganges

The Defining Moment

As his wife's ashes were carried away by the Ganges, he broke down. Beside him sat his seven-year-old son, quietly watching his father.

Then came a moment on the banks of the Ganges. As his wife's ashes were carried away, he broke down. And beside him sat his seven-year-old son, quietly watching his father.

In that moment, he realised that while he had lost his wife, his child had lost his mother. And if he completely broke down, his child would have no one left to hold on to.

That moment became the seed of GiVa, Grief Support. Grief doesn't end with the funeral or the condolences. It continues in the silence that follows, emotionally, socially, practically and financially. GiVa was created to ensure that people facing loss do not have to navigate that silence alone.

As this idea evolved, so did the larger vision. The founders realised that grief was only one part of a much larger human need, the need for support, dignity, opportunity, mental wellbeing, education and connection.

And that is how NiVan Foundation was born.

A father and young son sitting together by a river at dusk
  1. 01

    A Conversation About Loss

    Two founders, an Army veteran and an IAF pilot, working on technology, find themselves talking about grief and the people left behind.

  2. 02

    The Moment by the Ganges

    A soldier trained to face anything breaks down. A seven-year-old watches. That silence becomes a mission.

  3. 03

    GiVa is Born

    India's first cooperative grief support initiative, so no one faces bereavement, its silence, or its aftermath alone.

  4. 04

    NiVan Foundation

    The vision expands across six campaigns and many lives, one underlying belief unchanged.

People First. Always.

NiVan Foundation is built around a simple belief: no one should have to navigate life's difficult moments alone. We create accessible support systems across grief, mental health, women empowerment, onco-psychology, child development, and youth education.

We don't believe in temporary assistance alone. We believe in listening, supporting, connecting and empowering people to find a way forward, with compassion, professional expertise, and community by their side.

Indian community members in a support circle

Our Mission

To create accessible, compassionate and sustainable support systems for people navigating life's challenges.

Through our campaigns and partnerships, we work to provide:

  • Support when people are struggling.
  • Knowledge when people are seeking answers.
  • Opportunity when people need a pathway forward.
  • Connection when people feel alone.

Our mission is to bridge the gap between need and support, while helping individuals and communities build greater resilience, dignity and independence.

Our Vision

A society where no one is left to navigate life's challenges alone.

We envision a more compassionate and inclusive society where every individual has access to the support, knowledge, opportunity and human connection they need to move forward.

Whether it is a family navigating grief, a woman seeking independence, someone struggling with their mental health, a family facing the emotional impact of cancer, or a young person looking for guidance,

There should always be a place to turn to.

Our Core Belief

When life becomes difficult, people deserve to know they don't have to face it alone.

Every programme we build, every partnership we form, and every person we walk with is guided by this single, unwavering belief. It is not just what we do, it is who we are.

A parent holding a young child close