Nanma Charitable Foundation Announces Year-Long Rural Development Project in Vehloli Village, Shahapur
Mumbai, May 20, 2026: Mumbai-based non-profitable organisation Nanma Charitable Foundation, which has been working for the upliftment of underprivileged communities in Mumbai and tribal regions of Maharashtra for nearly 15 years, is set to launch a comprehensive rural development initiative in Vehloli village in Shahapur taluka of Thane district.
As part of the project, the foundation aims to focus on improving the health, education and overall well-being of children in the tribal village, while also enhancing the environmental quality and infrastructure of local schools in the vicinity. The year-long initiative will commence in the second week of June and will be implemented across six phases.Located around 85 kilometres from Mumbai, Vehloli is a tribal village with a poor literacy rate and school dropouts. A total of 354 students from various schools in the village are expected to benefit from the programme.
Under the first phase of the project, students will receive study materials and educational supplies for the academic year. The second phase will include the distribution of computers, a plantation drive, provision of rainwater storage tanks and essential safety equipment for schools. In the third phase, volunteers will undertake painting of the school walls, hygiene, cleaning and beautification drives, which will continue through the year. Continuing its fight against malnutrition, the fourth phase will focus on distributing essential utensils to students, while the fifth phase will focus on a medical camp followed by providing free medicines and nutritional supplements to students. In the sixth and final phase the team will distribute water purifiers and celebrate the spirit of Indian festivals along with the students and families.
The Kalyan-based foundation has also been actively supporting differently-abled students through its ‘Nanma Educational Assistance Initiative’. In 2025-2026 the organisation extended financial assistance to nearly 100 differently-abled students in Thane district.
The foundation began its rural development activities in 2014 by adopting Dandwalgaon, a tribal village in Mokhada taluka of Palghar district. Since then, it has carried out several initiatives aimed at improving education and healthcare in rural and tribal communities. Along with distribution of nutritional meals in tribal schools, books and study materials, the team also organised free medical camps and cataract surgeries for villagers.
Over the years, the organisation has expanded its work to several tribal regions, covering eight Zilla Parishad schools including Plotpada village in Shahapur taluka in 2016, Munchachimedu in 2018, Vikaswadi in 2019, and Morhanda village in Palghar district in 2021.
Speaking about the initiative, Sunil Raj, founder and secretary of the organisation acknowledged that the efforts are driven by the vision of educational growth, healthcare improvement and empowerment of Maharashtra’s tribal communities.
“All the activities of the foundation are the result of collective teamwork and the support of like-minded well-wishers. Continued co-operation and financial support from socially conscious individuals is essential for us to keep serving marginalised villagers,” Sunilraj added.
The foundation's volunteer network includes service-minded members such as Mridul Prabhakar, Divya Nair, and Nandana, among others.