Parivartan Mahila Santha - Arogyaseva

Project Brief: Providing basic education for children and health education for young people of tribal areas inclusive of basic needs such as water supply and electricity.
Project Type: Community Based Interventions (description)
Primary Focus: children of dalits/tribals (description)

Secondary Focus: health and cleanliness

Area: Rural
Supporting Chapter Contact: Toledo
Status: current / ongoing
Project Steward: Sreejit Menon
Project Partner(s): Varsha Parchure
Other Contacts: Sreejit Menon
Project Address: , Second Floor, Sudama Smruti, Near Pragati College,Snehakit Mitra Mandal Chowk, Nandivali Road, Dombivali,
Maharashtra  421201
Tel: 011 91 22 25380111
Stewarding Chapter: Toledo
Nov 2016ToledoUSD 12782
Jun 2016ToledoUSD 4054
Apr 2014ToledoUSD 9994
May 2013ToledoUSD 8019
May 2010Work an HourUSD 12000
Jan 2009ToledoUSD 15800
Jan 2008ToledoUSD 3400
Dec 2006ToledoUSD 1500

Total = $67549

There are over 65 villages of tribal areas in Thane, Nashik and Nandurbar districts of Maharashtra where people are illiterate and are living below poverty line. They are suffering from easily treatable diseases and lack of food. Additionally, they are chronic alcoholics and mainly depend upon daily wages to make their both ends meet. They are unaware of government schemes and other facilities. Farming is the main source of their income but because of only a specific type of crop grown in that area they are left with no food in major part of the year. This leads to malnutrition. Majority of padas (hamlets) are situated in inaccessible areas and are devoid of electricity and fresh water. Inspite of presence of schools in some of these padas, lack of infrastructure, unhealthy school environment has demotivated the teachers and parents resulting in no education for children. Recurring illness among children is another major factor that is demotivating children. So they end up working on farms helping their parents.

Asha along with the help of Pragati Pratishthan, Dr.Sujit and our dedicated volunteers from Mumbai undertook project Arogyaseva to tackle malnutrition and illiteracy among young children in Thane, Maharashtra. The project site consists of 65 villages in the tribal areas of Maharashtra. Of the four phases, three phases have been successfully completed and we are now into the fourth phase.

The successful first phase of the project provided books, infrastructure such as tables, chairs, water filters, mats and black boards. For the first time, two solar lamps were fixed in schools of Kumbhi and Karoli padas who had no electric supply before.The focus of the second phase project was health and literacy. Two doctors from Mumbai conducted a medical camp for 700 people. Essential medicines were provided to the villagers. Moreover, a computer was donated to Asey School to start basic computer education for middle-school students. Private teaching sessions were also arranged for high-school students to enhance their education and help prepare for their board examinations. In third phase we provided solar lamps for 21 families, to encourage parents to send their kids to school. We installed two libraries, supported 5 schools with basic infrastructure, Conducted agricultural visits for the benefit of farmers, Jaipur foot was donated for physically handicapped students.Toledo Rotary supported with $10,000 for phase-3.

In Phase-4
1. Renovation of Pragati Tribal hostel at Mokhada was completed ( This project helped 30 tribal students to continue their high school education staying in this hostel).
2. Nutrition project for tribal kids is completed: This program support 130 kids with lunch, dinner daily and imparted basic education interest in them.
Aims of this project are:
1. Provide basic education and health awareness for
students in rural and tribal areas
2.Conduct Medical camps for children and their parents
3.Develop infrastructure for the schools
4.Recruit more teachers to cater the student needs
5.Train local youths on first aid medical treatment
6.Conduct leadership and personality development programs


Toledo Rotary supported Arogyaseva phase-3 project with USD 10,000.

WAH supported with $12,000 in 2009/2010

Present Phase: Computer literacy program will Train local youth with computer skills. This program is carved out for poor people in tribal areas. Government of India's program NREGA is an act meant for such people, but govt officials and contractors take advantage of the illiteracy of tribal people and 90% of the money is siphoned out . This program aim is to bring computer literacy among tribal youth, educate them about govt schemes which in-turn will help them to claim allocated funds for their betterment.
Asha Toledo is supporting with $8,000 for Computer Literacy Program
Parivartan Mahila Sanstha is a Non-for-profit organization registered in 2000 by women who were active in social sector in various capacities. The organization is established with the prime focus of women empowerment and thus deliberately decided to have an executive body with all women members.

A group of few active persons from different parts of Maharashtra State, came together to form this Organisation. All of them had one common interest and only aim that is “Empowerment of the women from society”. While every one of them were performing some or the other powerful activities, towards Women Development, in their local area, they felt the need of establishing organization to work for conveying & implementing the various programmes, government schemes at grass root level for upliftment of women throughout Maharashtra.
Since then with a vision of a society where every woman lives with freedom and dignity, Parivartan has made continuous efforts to address varied facets of life. Community participation and holistic development approach are the key word that we use in our organization. In all programmes we try to motivate participants, beneficiaries to participate actively in the process of their own development. We as organization play a role of facilitator and motivator. Our thrust is to make them self reliant and there should be sustainable development of the society. Along with this all organization facilitate various networks related to child trafficking and implementation, evaluating, monitoring various schemes running through Government.