New executive director

As of 22 June 2020, the Usthi Foundation has a new executive director, Ms Alessandra Grosse. In future she will be responsible for the management of the foundation and thus for its day-to-day operations. In addition, Olga Egli returned from her maternity leave at the beginning of June and is now again responsible for fundraising and public relations.

It is not an easy year to take over the management of an NGO. It is difficult to foresee the long-term impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the donations market and the implementation of projects in India. It is therefore all the more exciting to take over the leadership of the Usthi Foundation during this time. After an introduction by the founder Kurt Bürki and the existing Usthi team, Alessandra Grosse will take up this challenge and will be responsible for the foundation’s operative business in the future.

Ms. Alessandra Grosse, who grew up in the Italian-speaking Calanca Valley, studied biology and environmental governance at the Universities of Basel and Freiburg i. Br.. She then gained experience in development cooperation during several assignments abroad as part of her studies, an internship in Indonesia for the German Cooperation for International Cooperation (GIZ) and subsequently for almost 3 years as project coordinator for German development projects in Asia. She is thus well equipped to take responsibility for the foundation’s operative business in the future.

India is not unknown territory to her. In the context of her master’s thesis, she investigated participation possibilities of marginalised population groups in Karnataka. Part of the investigation was a three-month research in the field. During the last three years she has also travelled regularly to India, especially Northeast India, in order to coordinate the planning and implementation of German development projects together with local partners.

She will be supported in her new role by Olga Egli, who joined Usthi in 2018 and has since taken over the role of deputy in the absence of the executive director. She returned from maternity leave at the beginning of June. Together with Christian Rübensaal, she will again be responsible for fundraising and public relations. Christian Rübensaal joined the team in the summer of 2019, initially as a temporary assistant, before taking over Olga’s maternity representation in early 2020. After her return, he continues to support her in fundraising and is responsible for the foundation’s administration.

The team is looking forward to work together and is excited to continue Usthi’s long-standing commitment to education and health together with the local partners.

Der Campus in Hyderabad steht unter Wasser.

Emergency appeal: Floods in Hyderabad

Heavy local rain showers severely affected the Usthi project region in Hyderabad during the night of 27 August. The region experienced flooding on a scale not seen in 98 years. A children’s homes campus in the north of the city is under floodwater. On another campus, the buildings of the Usthi children’s homes and women’s […]

“I now feel I can dream again.”

Despite economic growth, securing a livelihood remains a major challenge for many families in India. The majority of Indians work in the informal labor market, usually without social security or employment contracts and often under precarious working conditions. Access to the labor market and to fairly paid jobs is marked by glaring inequalities: women in […]

USTHI EVENT 2025

The Usthi team warmly invites you to this year’s Usthi Event on September 27, 2025. Together, we would like to look back on another year of commitment to children and youth in India and Nepal. We are delighted to welcome long-time supporters and new friends alike from 4:00 PM at the Kreuzbühl Parish Hall in […]