Sahaara Charitable Society

Empowers marginalized communities to become positive contributors to society, fulfilling their dreams and aspirations through supporting and equipping them

  • Gold Certified 2023
  • FCRA
  • 80G
  • 12A
  • CSR-1
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About

  • Headquarters

    Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra

  • Since

    1994

Sahaara Charitable Society exists to serve and equip the marginalized people to grow into positive contributors of society. In November 1994, a gro Read moreup of concerned citizens banded together and decided to give themselves to work amongst the most disregarded people of Mumbai, pledging to go to the places where very few will go. At Sahaara Charitable Society, we seek to empower people to articulate their dreams and to support and equip them as they work to fulfill these dreams in their lifetime! With this view in mind, Sahaara Charitable Society was formed with the vision of “Fulfilling Dreams”.

Demographies Served

Vision & Mission

Fulfilling Dreams of the Vulnerable and Marginalized in Society

Donor History

India Partners Tearfund Azim Premji Foundation HBS Foundation Maersk

Programs

  • Parivartan

    Thousands of women who have been deceived and trafficked are shocking examples of modern-day slavery. These women are treated as the personal property of individuals and are sold and traded at will through a network of pimps and brothel owners. Most of these women come from extremely poor economic backgrounds and lack basic education and skills required for safe alternate livelihood opportunities. Sahaara seeks to break this cycle of abuse and injustice by offering these women recovery-based rehabilitation and focused reintegration services. Recovery-based rehabilitation is achieved through relationship and trust building; awareness, mentoring and counselling leading to mindset and behavioural change. In our focused reintegration, we develop and implement focused Individual Reintegration Plans (IRPs) that ensure literacy and educational support, skills building and preemployment training leading to safe and stable livelihood opportunities.

  • Pratham

    District

    A study by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has revealed that the children of sex workers face abuse and discrimination, which results in them isolating themselves from society due to the associated stigma. Most of these children attend schools with limited resources, leading to poor learning outcomes, a sense of failure and a frustrated academic journey. Parental neglect and inability, the lack of a responsible father figure and the prevailing anti-social influences in a red-light area negatively impact the worldview and value system of these children that could potentially lead to delinquent behaviour. Hence, these children are extremely vulnerable and experts fear they could either follow their parents into the flesh trade or turn to crime if they remain uneducated and unskilled. Our vision is to facilitate a better and sustainable learning ecosystem for children in red light areas and ensure strong educational foundations, mental and physical well-being, career enhancement and parent and community strengthening.

  • Mahima

    The red-light areas are a harsh place for any child to grow up in. The high level of exposure to risk and lack of opportunities poses a threat to the child’s future. Sahaara Charitable Society works with the victims of commercial sex exploitation in red-light districts and runs education centres for their vulnerable children who are prone to abuse, neglect and second-generation trafficking. Through our work in the red-light areas, we identify the most high-risk children of female sex workers and admit them in the Sahaara education hostels with the consent of the mother. Here they are provided with safe accommodation, wholesome nutrition, mental wellness and quality English-medium education. This is undertaken with the goal of offering a safe environment for their holistic development through Individual Care Plans (ICPs). Concurrently, we also work towards reintegrating their parents towards a lifestyle of safety and stability so that the child can ultimately be restored to the family in a 5-year window period. We achieve this through developing and implementing focused Individual Reintegration Plans (IRPs) that ensure literacy and educational support, skills building, and mind-set and behavioural change, leading to safe and stable livelihood opportunities. At Sahaara, we believe that reintegrating the whole family will break the cycle of abuse and injustice, and lead to lasting change.

  • Pragati

    District

    The Indian government has established its network of childcare institutions to take care of children who are in need of care and protection (CNCP). These children are vulnerable for a variety of reasons such as being orphaned, lost, runaways or victims of child labour, trafficking or abuse. These children enter the government child care institutions at varying ages, possess differing backgrounds and experiences, and are equipped with skill sets and competencies that are rarely common. However, despite the lack of commonality, the children are placed in a one-size-fits-all educational program known as the municipal school, where they struggle to develop grade-level competency. As a result, they face educational challenges, identity crisis, emotional stress and behavioural issues arising from their weak performance in school. They also run the risk of becoming delinquent as they are bogged by a sense of failure, which leads to irritation and rebellious behaviour. Project Pragati’s vision is to facilitate a better and sustainable learning ecosystem for children in government child care institutions and ensure strong educational foundations through remedial education, mental wellness, career enhancement and institutional strengthening interventions.

  • Anandalay

    The red-light areas are a harsh place for any child, especially girls, to grow up in. The high level of exposure to risk and lack of opportunities poses a threat to the child’s future. Sahaara Charitable Society works with the victims of commercial sex exploitation in red-light districts and runs education centres for their vulnerable children who are prone to abuse, neglect and second-generation trafficking. Through our work in the red-light areas, we identify the most high-risk children of female sex workers and admit them in the Sahaara education hostels with the consent of the mother. Here they are provided with safe accommodation, wholesome nutrition, mental wellness and quality English-medium education. This is undertaken with the goal of offering a safe environment for their holistic development through Individual Care Plans (ICPs). Concurrently, we also work towards reintegrating their parents towards a lifestyle of safety and stability so that the child can ultimately be restored to the family in a 5-year window period. We achieve this through developing and implementing focused Individual Reintegration Plans (IRPs) that ensure literacy and educational support, skills building, and mind-set and behavioural change, leading to safe and stable livelihood opportunities. At Sahaara, we believe that reintegrating the whole family will break the cycle of abuse and injustice, and lead to lasting transformation.

Impact Metrics

  • No of Women to Registered Into the Project

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 382
    • 2020-21 866
    • 2021-22 923
  • No. of Women Who Have Exited the Sex Trade

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 62
    • 2020-21 19
    • 2021-22 62
  • No. of Women Engaged in Safe Alternate Livelihoods

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 42
    • 2020-21 56
    • 2021-22 35
  • No. of Children Enrolled in the Project

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 184
    • 2020-21 183
    • 2021-22 207
  • No. of Children Achieving Early Childhood Education Objectives

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 53
    • 2020-21 29
    • 2021-22 78
  • No. of Children Achieving Remedial Education Objectives

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 85
    • 2020-21 44
    • 2021-22 40
  • No. of Children Enrolled in the Remedial Education

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 95
    • 2020-21 98
    • 2021-22 146
  • No. of Missed Children's Families Traced

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 485
    • 2020-21 143
    • 2021-22 166
  • No. of Children Provided With Safe Accommodation

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 15
    • 2020-21 16
    • 2021-22 16
  • No. of Children Enrolled in Mainstream English Medium Schools

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 15
    • 2020-21 15
    • 2021-22 16
  • No. of Children Engaged in Hobbies and Talent Development

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 15
    • 2020-21 15
    • 2021-22 16
  • No of Women to Registered Into the Project

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 382
    • 2020-21 866
    • 2021-22 923
  • No. of Women Who Have Exited the Sex Trade

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 62
    • 2020-21 19
    • 2021-22 62
  • No. of Women Engaged in Safe Alternate Livelihoods

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 42
    • 2020-21 56
    • 2021-22 35
  • No. of Children Enrolled in the Project

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 184
    • 2020-21 183
    • 2021-22 207
  • No. of Children Achieving Early Childhood Education Objectives

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 53
    • 2020-21 29
    • 2021-22 78
  • No. of Children Achieving Remedial Education Objectives

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 85
    • 2020-21 44
    • 2021-22 40
  • No. of Children Enrolled in the Remedial Education

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 95
    • 2020-21 98
    • 2021-22 146
  • No. of Missed Children's Families Traced

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 485
    • 2020-21 143
    • 2021-22 166
  • No. of Children Provided With Safe Accommodation

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 15
    • 2020-21 16
    • 2021-22 16
  • No. of Children Enrolled in Mainstream English Medium Schools

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 15
    • 2020-21 15
    • 2021-22 16
  • No. of Children Engaged in Hobbies and Talent Development

    Year-wise Metrics
    • 2019-20 15
    • 2020-21 15
    • 2021-22 16

Theory of Change

Our Organization Vision: Fulfilling Dreams of the Vulnerable and Marginalized in Society. We have also defined our Core Beliefs that will be the driving force for us: All humans are created to enjoy 'life, and have it to the full’. Humans are placed in families and communities to realize their potential and purpose. Our Core Beliefs have also helped define Our Approach as we work towards our goals: Sahaara will strive, through its programmes and strategic partnerships to empower and equip its participants with the ability and supportive eco-system to realize their dreams and full potential. Keeping the above Vision, Beliefs and Approach in mind, we have shortlisted 3 Key Strategic Focus Areas and 7 Objectives for the next 5 years- Strategic Focus 1: Ensure end-to-end holistic well-being Objective 1: Safe and supportive Education with wholesome Life Skills Objective 2: Mental, Emotional and Physical Wellbeing Objective 3: Gainful and Sustainable Livelihoods Strategic Focus 2: Empower sustainable eco-systems Objective 4: Stable and Supportive Families Objective 5: Empowered and Sustainable Communities Objective 6: Supportive Network of Institutions Strategic Focus 3: Scale impact and influence through strategic partnerships Objective 7: Influence policy, create awareness and garner support

Milestones & Track Record

Important milestones achieved by Sahaara Charitable Society - 1994 - Sahaara registered as a Trust/Society 1994 - Work among children in marginalised communities (Pratham) 1997 - Work in prisons (Azad) 1999 - Home for vulnerable boys (Mahima) 2000 - Registered with Home Ministry for FCRA permission 2001 - Work among Commercial Sex Workers (Parivartan) 2004 - Work in Children’s and Observation Homes (Pragati) 2008 - Home for vulnerable girls (Anandalay) 2012 – Won the Dasra Social Impact Award 2020 – Sahaara Emergency Relief Program formed to provide COVID relief. 2021 – Hostel for vulnerable girls (Krupalay) 2021 – Utkarsh Vocational Training Centre

Donor Testimonial

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Leadership Team

  • Rajesh Mathew

    CEO

  • Rahul Thomas

    Chief Operations Officer (COO)

  • Greeshma Sivankutty

    Sr. Manager - Finance & Administration

  • Sheba Mathew

    Program Manager- Education & Training

  • Dnyaneshwari Tandy

    Program Manager - Hostels and Mental Health

Demographics & Structure

  • No. of Employees

    51-100

  • Strength of Governing Body

    7

  • Diversity Metrics

    67% women

M&E

  • Internal, External Assessors

    No

Policies

  • Ethics and Transparency Policies

    No

  • Formal CEO Oversight & Compensation Policy

    Yes

Political & Religious Declarations

  • On Affiliation if any

    No

  • On Deployment Bias if any

    No

Awards & Recognitions

Dasra Social Impact Award- 2012 Accredited by Credibility Alliance

Registration Details

  • PAN Card

    AABTS6840H

  • Registration ID

    476/1994GBBSD (BOM)

  • 12A

    AABTS6840HE20214

  • 80G

    AABTS6840HF20214

  • FCRA

    083780704

  • CSR Registration Number

    CSR00004895

Location

  • Headquarters

    Plot no.77, Sector 17, Kopar Khairane, Navi Mumbai, 400709

    Directions

Other Details

  • Type & Sub Type

    Non-profit
    Society

Financial Details

 Income / Expenses
  • 2019-20

    Income
    Rs.33,549,578
    Expenses
    Rs.33,164,477
    Admin Expenses
    Rs.6,632,895
    Program Expenses
    Rs.26,531,582
    Tip: Click on any value above to exclude it.
  • 2020-21

    Income
    Rs.38,773,845
    Expenses
    Rs.37,285,020
    Admin Expenses
    Rs.5,219,902
    Program Expenses
    Rs.32,065,118
    Tip: Click on any value above to exclude it.
  • 2021-22

    Income
    Rs.61,806,175
    Expenses
    Rs.46,598,047
    Admin Expenses
    Rs.6,523,726
    Program Expenses
    Rs.40,074,321
    Tip: Click on any value above to exclude it.

Government Partnerships

Govt. of Maharashtra Home Department