10 credible NGOs in Mumbai changing lives of the poor

Rhythm Sachdeva
GiveIndia
Published in
6 min readNov 5, 2019

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Mumbai is called to be a dream city of India. Where the city has earned a name for its fame, it is also known for the poverty it exhibits. 869,565 people live in Dharavi (Asia’s second-largest slum) alone. Where the authorities fail to reach out, these nonprofits in India are making the city bearable for the poorest. These NGOs are working across causes for different groups including children and elderly. Looking for an NGO in Mumbai to contribute your bit? Check out the list below and find an NGO to which you want to be a part of.

1. Udaan Foundation

Started in 2009, Udaan Foundation is a children’s NGO in Mumbai which runs a one-year foundation program to facilitate school readiness for children age 4–6 years from low-income communities. The idea is to build a strong foundation in language and social skills in a safe, secure, and happy learning environment. Donation to this program will cover the cost of teachers’ salaries in schools. Sponsor a child’s education in Mumbai to help them dream a future beyond slums.

2. St. Jude India Child Care Center

Every year hundreds of cancer-affected children travel to Mumbai for treatment. With no place to stay, they usually end up staying on the streets. St. Jude provides shelter to these families along with necessary nutritional and emotional support. Help cancer care NGOs and donate to provide nutritious food for children suffering from cancer. Your donation to this NGO in Mumbai can save cancer patients by providing them proper food, a good environment, a healthy lifestyle, and mental well-being.

3. Shraddhanand Mahilashram

Shraddhanand Mahilashram provides shelter to women above 60 years of age. While the old age home offers free stay for abandoned and poor women, it also provides paid services for women who can afford these. They aim to provide peace to these women in their last days. Apart from basic facilities including food and a separate bed, the organization also has an active medical staff to take care of the elderly. Donate to this NGO in Mumbai to help elderly abandoned women find a second home in Mahilashram and spend their last days in peace.

4. Apnalaya

Apnalaya is an NGO in Mumbai which lends a friendly ear to the domestic violence victims, offers advice and helps them find the strength within them to fight and win their legal and personal battles. It trains women to fight domestic violence, conducts awareness sessions, and encourages women to come together and help each other. Donate to help a woman get back to a dignified life and support Apnalaya to be a continuous pillar of hope for women.

5. Akanksha Foundation

Akanksha Foundation is an education NGO in Mumbai which has one of the largest urban networks of public-private partnership schools in India. It envisions to build a pipeline of innovative schools that empowers children to maximize their potential and influence systemic reforms. Verified by GiveIndia, Akanksha Foundation works to impact the lives of children from low-income communities. Currently, it reaches out to 4,000+ children in 21 schools, with school dropout rate under 5%. Donate to this NGO working for education in Mumbai to help kids from slum areas break the cycle of poverty.

6. Neptune Foundation

Neptune Foundation, an NGO in Mumbaiwas established in 2010. They work to identify homeless people with mental illness wandering the streets, take them under their wings and arrange treatment for them. Once they battle their memory loss and are cured, they are reunited with their families. Neptune also arranges to pay for the lifelong medication of their patients who can’t afford it. They have saved around 283 people and successfully reunited 183 with their families. Your charity to mental health NGO can help a mentally ill patient reunite with his family.

7. Majlis Manch

Through their program ‘Rahat’, Majlis Manch’s legal center provides socio-legal support to victims of sexual abuse. The all-women team of lawyers and social workers meet with victims and explain the process and procedures involved in a court case. They are also told about all the legal, public, and private schemes that they have access to. Further legal help is provided depending upon the case. Donate to this NGO in Mumbai to help abuse victims get legal services to fight their battles.

8. National Society for Equal Opportunities for the Handicapped (NASEOH)

Centers run by NASEOH impart vocational training to the differently-abled to ensure sustainable livelihood for them. Apart from training them in a variety of skills including pottery and baking, beneficiaries are also trained in communication skills. Jobs secured by them vary from computer operators to clerks, depending on the beneficiary’s interest and skills. Donate to make differently-abled people self-reliant and give them a chance to lead a dignified life.

9. Foundation for Mother and Child Health (FMCH)

FMCH has been implementing the Urban Nutrition initiative at Bhiwandi since 2015. The program ensures that women and children who fall into the category of ‘First 1000 Days’ are linked with their local ICDS (Integrated Child Development Scheme) center. The services include regular growth monitoring, availability of trusted, accurate information, and support from the very first day of detection of pregnancy until the child completes two years of age. Donate to this healthcare NGO in Mumbai for a needy pregnant woman to receive care throughout her pregnancy.

10. Akshara Centre

For the past 20 years, Akshara has worked towards a gender-just society, where women can live with dignity, free from violence and discrimination. The focus is on empowering young women by imparting job skills, self-improvement skills, awarding scholarships for education, and educating young men to become standard-bearers for gender justice individually and within their families and communities. Its scholarship program for girls ‘Empowering Dreams’ helps girls from 16 to 21 years of age to pursue higher education. Your small monthly donation can help a poor girl achieve her dreams.

Have more NGOs to add to this list? Do post your comments in the section below. You can also write to us at rhythm@giveindia.org or call us at 7738714428 for any queries.

Tagged children’s NGO in Mumbai, education NGO in Mumbai, healthcare NGO in Mumbai, sponsor a child’s education in Mumbai

Originally published at https://blog.giveindia.org

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Rhythm Sachdeva
GiveIndia

I believe in the power of humanity and want to do my bit in making this world a happy place to be at. Taking forward my learnings from Goonj, YIF & GiveIndia.