As CSR continues to evolve from charity-driven initiatives to long-term strategies for social transformation, one of the most critical questions today is how organisations can create impact that is both inclusive and sustainable. It requires moving beyond numbers to models built on trust, dignity, and active participation of communities themselves.
This is the approach that defines the work of Ms. Santhi Periasamy, Head, RYTHM Foundation, CSR arm of QNET India. With more than two decades in the development sector across Asia and Africa, she has led initiatives ranging from foundational literacy in India's tribal belts to women’s economic empowerment through microenterprises and youth inclusion programmes in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Ghana.
In this interview, Ms. Periasamy reflects on the Foundation’s vision and core focus areas, the importance of co-creating programmes with communities, dismantling systemic barriers for women, and balancing immediate needs with future-ready skills for youth. She also shares lessons from working across diverse geographies, insights on ensuring programme sustainability, and her perspective on why compassionate leadership is indispensable in shaping the future of CSR.
Scroll down to read the full interview.
Q. RYTHM Foundation has created meaningful impact across Asia and Africa, from empowering women in Eastern India to advancing youth inclusion in Ghana. Could you begin by sharing the vision of the foundation and its core focus areas?
A. The vision of RYTHM Foundation is rooted in the belief that every individual has the right to realise their full potential, regardless of background or circumstance. Our work is guided by three core focus areas: Education, Empowerment, and Environment.
Through education, we create opportunities for children and youth. Through empowerment, we support women, young people, and marginalised groups with the skills and confidence to shape their own futures. Through our work on the environment, we invest in climate resilience and sustainability, recognising that true progress must protect both people and the planet.
Across Asia and Africa, our approach is long-term, community-driven, and collaborative. We believe lasting change is possible only when solutions are co-created with the very communities we serve.
Q. You have spent over two decades in the development space across Asia and Africa. What values and personal experiences have most shaped your approach to leading community-driven programmes?
A. At the heart of my work is a simple belief: every human being has the right to basic needs and to live free from starvation, discrimination, and exploitation. Everything I have planned and implemented on behalf of RYTHM Foundation rests on this foundation.
My personal experiences have reinforced this conviction. Over the years, I have seen governments, corporates, and agencies make lofty promises but fail to act, leaving many underserved communities trapped in cycles of deprivation. These realities have shaped my leadership approach: to stand firmly for dignity, inclusion, and justice, and to ensure that RYTHM’s programmes are not tokenistic, but genuine and long-term commitments to transforming lives.
Q. RYTHM Foundation emphasises co-creation with communities. Could you share how you ensure that programmes are not just designed for communities but with them, respecting local needs and voices?
A. Whether we are working with indigenous communities, rural families living below the poverty line, or the urban poor, the principle we hold firmly to is this: our role is not to prescribe but to diagnose. We begin with in-depth engagement in close collaboration with credible partner organisations that understand the ground realities.
We do not tell communities what to do. Instead, we walk alongside them, helping them articulate their aspirations and then supporting them in a structured way that leads to systemic and lasting outcomes. The community takes ownership, which makes the change meaningful and sustainable.
For example, when working with an indigenous community in Malaysia, we spent the first few months breaking down barriers of fear and mistrust. The villagers were hesitant to engage with outsiders. By taking the time to build trust and nurture relationships, we earned their confidence. Once trust was established, the community embraced the project, and the journey became smooth because it was built on partnership and respect, not imposition.
Q. From microenterprise training in Eastern India to rural sports leadership in Maharashtra, women empowerment is central to your work. What systemic barriers do you see women still facing, and how is RYTHM working to dismantle them?
A. Women continue to face deeply entrenched barriers across the regions where we work. These include patriarchal mindsets that limit mobility and participation, unequal access to education and skills, financial exclusion, and social norms that place household responsibilities above personal aspirations. In some communities, even stepping outside the home without permission is considered a transgression.
These are not just individual struggles but structural issues that perpetuate inequality.
At RYTHM Foundation, we tackle this by creating opportunities that directly challenge these norms. For instance, our microenterprise training in Eastern India equips women with financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills, enabling them to earn independent incomes and gain greater agency within their households. In Maharashtra, our rural sports leadership programme uses sports as a platform to build confidence, challenge stereotypes, and showcase women’s leadership potential in public spaces.
By combining economic empowerment with shifts in mindset, we work to dismantle barriers not only for today’s women but also for the generations that follow.
Q. Your literacy initiatives in tribal belts and sports-led life skills programmes in India, Sri Lanka, and Ghana show diverse approaches. How do you balance immediate educational needs with building future-ready youth?
A. Our philosophy is that education is not only about literacy but about equipping young people with the tools to thrive in an uncertain future. In tribal belts, where even basic literacy remains a challenge, we focus on immediate needs by creating community-based learning centres, strengthening foundational skills, and ensuring children do not drop out of school. Addressing these urgent needs is critical to prevent entire generations from being left behind.
At the same time, we recognise that the world young people face is rapidly changing, shaped by digitalisation and climate challenges. Alongside literacy, we design programmes that build future-ready skills such as critical thinking, leadership, adaptability, collaboration, and confidence. For example, our sports-led life skills programmes in India, Malaysia, and Ghana may appear like play, but they are powerful tools for teaching resilience, teamwork, discipline, and inclusivity. These qualities enable youth not only to navigate their own lives but also to become changemakers in their communities.
We see this as a continuum: first addressing immediate gaps so that children and youth are not deprived of their right to learn, and then equipping them with the skills and values needed to face the future with agency and confidence. This balance makes our programmes both relevant and sustainable.
Q. Many of your initiatives have earned recognition for long-term impact. How do you ensure sustainability once external funding or direct foundation involvement phases out?
A. Sustainability has always been a core principle for us. We are clear that our role is not to create dependency but to help communities build systems and capacities that endure beyond our presence. We do this on three levels.
First, we invest in community ownership from the start. Whether it is women’s self-help groups, youth clubs, or local school committees, our programmes are co-created with those who will ultimately sustain them.
Second, we strengthen institutions and partnerships. We connect grassroots initiatives with government schemes, local NGOs, and resource networks so that communities continue to access support, funding, and expertise once direct project involvement ends.
Third, we build leadership and skills. When individuals such as women entrepreneurs, teachers, or youth leaders gain confidence and competencies, sustainability is no longer dependent only on resources but on human capacity.
A good example is our women’s microenterprise programme in Eastern India. What began as training and seed support has evolved into self-sustaining cooperatives. Many of these women now mentor others and link themselves to government livelihood schemes. Years after our direct involvement, these groups continue to thrive because the ownership rests with the women themselves.
It is this combination of ownership, institutional linkages, and capacity-building that allows our programmes across Asia and Africa to thrive long after our formal involvement has ended.
Q. Having worked across geographies from India to Indonesia to Africa, what are some universal lessons in community development you have observed, and how do you adapt them to local contexts?
A. There are universal lessons that cut across geographies. The first is that dignity and agency matter everywhere. People do not want charity; they want respect, opportunities, and the ability to make choices about their lives. The second is that trust takes time. Real development happens not through quick interventions but through consistent engagement and relationships that communities can rely on. The third is that women and youth are always central. When women are empowered and young people are given leadership opportunities, communities benefit in ways that are both immediate and long-lasting.
At the same time, no two contexts are the same. Empowerment in a tribal belt in India may look very different from a rural settlement in Indonesia or an underserved community in Ghana. Our approach is always to listen first and diagnose alongside local partners and communities.
In practice, this means adapting tools, language, and methods to cultural norms, governance systems, and community rhythms. For instance, in Indonesia, collective decision-making forums were key, while in Africa, youth clubs and sports became powerful entry points for change.
While values such as dignity, trust, and equity are universal, the pathways are always local. This balance makes our programmes both respectful and effective.
Q. You often highlight empathy, dignity, and trust as pillars of your leadership. Why do you believe compassionate leadership is especially important in the CSR and development sector?
A. Compassionate leadership is not optional in CSR and development. It is essential. Our work deals directly with human vulnerabilities such as poverty, inequality, and exclusion. If we rely only on managerial efficiency without empathy, we risk turning people into statistics and projects into transactions.
Compassionate leadership ensures that decisions are guided by humanity as well as strategy. It allows us to see beneficiaries as partners with aspirations, not simply as recipients of aid. It builds trust with communities, partners, and even within our teams, because people can sense when they are genuinely respected and heard.
In my experience, compassion also leads to better problem-solving. Approaching communities and partners with empathy uncovers nuances that data alone cannot reveal, such as why a programme may fail or what hidden strengths a group holds. These insights enable sustainable and systemic change. Ultimately, in a sector where success is measured by lives improved and futures changed, compassion is not a soft skill but a strategic asset.
Q. In the next three to five years, what will be RYTHM Foundation’s key priorities, and how will they align with India’s and the global SDG agenda?
A. Over the next three to five years, RYTHM Foundation will focus on three interconnected priorities that align with India’s development needs and the global SDG agenda.
First, deepening women and youth empowerment. Whether through microenterprise, life skills, or education, we will continue to focus on breaking cycles of poverty and marginalisation. We view women and young people not only as beneficiaries but as catalysts of change who can multiply impact within their families and communities.
Second, expanding literacy, school readiness, and skills for future employability. This will ensure children from tribal, rural, and urban poor communities are not left behind. These efforts align closely with SDGs 4 (Quality Education) and 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
Third, strengthening community resilience and sustainability. Our programmes are designed to build long-term resiliency through climate-aware livelihood practices, stronger grassroots institutions, and partnerships with government and civil society.
Underlying all these priorities is our commitment to co-creation with communities and evidence-based impact. We aim not only to address local realities in India but also to contribute meaningfully to the global SDG promise of leaving no one behind.
