Chairperson · Founding trustee
Trustee name
Thirty years in rural education. Taught the first evening class in 2016.
01 — How it began
It started with one classroom and a borrowed generator.
In 2016 a group of eight friends began running evening classes in a single village hall, paying for kerosene and chalk out of their own salaries. When attendance held through two monsoons, it became clear the work needed a structure that could outlast any one of them.
The trust deed was registered in 2017 with three founding trustees and a corpus of ₹2.1 lakh. The first audited year closed with two learning centres and eleven staff, nine of whom lived in the villages they served.
Everything since has followed the same rule the founders wrote into the deed: no programme starts until the community asks for it, and none ends until the community can run it.
Milestones
-
2017
Trust deed registered
Three founding trustees, a corpus of ₹2.1 lakh, and two learning centres.
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2019
80G and 12A granted
Donations became tax-exempt; the first independent audit was published in full.
-
2021
Sakhi Collectives formed
Livelihood work began with four women's collectives across two districts.
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2023
CSR-1 registration
Corporate partners joined, and the board expanded to seven trustees.
-
2026
38 villages, 9 local-run centres
Nine of the twelve early centres are now staffed and managed entirely by local teams.
02 — Objects of the trust
What the deed obliges us to do.
Mission
To work alongside rural and peri-urban families so that a child's education, a woman's income, and a household's health are not decided by where they were born.
Vision
Villages that no longer need us — where the school, the collective and the health camp are run, funded in part, and defended by the people who live there.
Charitable objects
Advancement of education; relief of poverty; promotion of public health and sanitation; empowerment of women and marginalised groups; environmental protection. Registered under the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950.
03 — What we hold to
Four commitments, written into how we spend.
Listen first
A month of conversations with mothers, teachers and panchayat members before any budget is approved.
Hire locally
Three in four of our field staff live in the district they work in. Salaries stay in the local economy.
Publish everything
Audited accounts, trustee names, salary bands and programme costs go online every year without exception.
Plan the exit
Every programme carries a handover date from the day it starts. Leaving well is the measure of success.
04 — The board
Seven trustees. None of them paid.
The board meets quarterly and approves every expense above ₹1 lakh. Trustees receive no remuneration, sitting fees or reimbursement beyond travel.
Managing trustee
Trustee name
Runs day-to-day operations and holds the programme handover calendar.
Treasurer
Trustee name
Chartered accountant. Signs off the annual audit and the FCRA return.
Trustee · Health
Trustee name
District physician. Designed the mobile health camp protocol.
Three further trustees and the full advisory panel are listed in the annual report.
05 — Registration & compliance
Every number you would need to check us.
Trust registration
E-XXXX/2017
PAN
AAXXX0000X
12A registration
Granted 2019
80G exemption
Valid to AY 2027-28
CSR-1
CSR00000000
Statutory auditor
Independent, rotated 2024
Where every ₹100 goes
Child protection policy
Mandatory for all staff and volunteers, reviewed annually by the board.
Conflict of interest register
Trustees declare related-party interests before every funding decision.
Whistleblower channel
Reports go directly to two non-executive trustees, outside the management line.
06 — Questions we get asked
Before you give, ask us this.
Is my donation tax-exempt?
Yes. We hold a valid 80G certificate and issue a receipt within seven working days of any donation, whether it arrives by bank transfer, UPI or cheque.
Can I choose which programme my money supports?
You can. Restricted gifts are tracked separately and reported against that programme alone. Unrestricted giving is more useful to us, because it lets the board move funds to whichever village needs them most that quarter.
Do you accept foreign contributions?
Only into our designated FCRA account, and only where the donor and purpose comply with the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act. Write to us before transferring and we will confirm in writing.
Who audits the accounts?
An independent chartered accountancy firm with no other relationship to the trust. The engagement is rotated every three years; the current auditor was appointed in 2024.
Can I visit a programme site?
Yes, with notice. Visits are scheduled around the community's calendar rather than ours, and all visitors sign the child protection policy beforehand.
Still have a question the page didn't answer?
Write to the managing trustee. We answer every letter about governance ourselves, usually within a week.