What is Dharma?
We chose Dharma as the foundation's name because it translates to duty — our personal duty. We believe our duty on a grand scale is to make the world a better place for people less fortunate.
And there are always someone less fortunate.
The founder was lucky to be born and raised in Norway, a country with many opportunities. That privilege didn't sit quietly. It turned into a question: what's my duty?
His dharma turned into this foundation.
What We Believe
We believe that lasting change doesn't come from handouts. It comes from giving people access to the tools and training they need to build something for themselves.
We believe in working with local partners who understand their communities — not imposing solutions from the outside. We believe in starting small, proving what works, and growing from there.
And we believe that when a woman gains the ability to earn her own income, the impact doesn't stop with her. It reaches her children, her household, and her community.
How We Work
Dharma International is a Norwegian nonprofit run by a small team of volunteers across Norway, Ireland, and India. We fundraise in Europe and channel resources to vetted local partner organisations that provide vocational training and support to women in developing countries.
We don't run programmes ourselves. We fund the materials, tools, and resources that make existing programmes possible — and we track real outcomes to make sure support translates into impact.
Our first partnership is with AIM Foundation in Kolkata, India, where we fund materials for their SuiDhaga tailoring training programme. It's a small start, and that's intentional. We'd rather prove something works than promise something we can't deliver.
Where We're Going
We're at the beginning. Our first course is training 20 women in Kolkata over five months — funded entirely by donors who believe a small contribution can change a life.
From here, we want to grow steadily. More courses. More women trained. Eventually, more partners and more countries. But always at a pace we can sustain, and always led by what works on the ground — not what looks good on paper.
If you want to be part of that journey, you can support our work [here]