Our Journey
28 years of empowering communities across Maharashtra
Our Journey
A timeline of growth, resilience, and lasting impact since 1998
Building the Foundation
Karunya Trust was established in 1998 with a commitment to supporting vulnerable individuals and families living in difficult circumstances.
During its early years, the organisation focused on responding to immediate needs through educational assistance, nutritional support, and healthcare access. These efforts gradually evolved into structured initiatives.
Responding in Times of Crisis
The Mumbai floods of 2005 marked a significant moment in Karunya Trust’s journey. The organisation mobilised volunteers, partners, and community members to provide emergency relief to thousands of affected families through cooked meals, ration support, hygiene kits, and educational materials for children.
This period also marked the beginning of Karunya Trust’s work with families affected by HIV, alongside early efforts to organise women through Self-Help Groups, laying the groundwork for future programmes in health, governance, and community empowerment.
Creating Long-Term Solutions
As community relationships deepened, Karunya Trust expanded its focus from immediate assistance to sustainable development by supporting vulnerable families in accessing safe and secure housing, recognising that adequate shelter forms the foundation for health, education, and family well-being.
Expanding Community Development
This period marked one of the most significant phases in Karunya Trust’s growth, with several new programmes addressing different dimensions of poverty and social exclusion.
We introduced projects focused on non-formal education for children living in slums, tribal welfare, organ donation awareness, vocational training, public infrastructure development, holistic support for people affected by HIV/AIDS, organic farming, and sanitation unit installation in response to needs identified through community engagement.
Alongside programme expansion, Karunya Trust strengthened its approach by integrating psychosocial care across its interventions, recognising that emotional well-being is closely connected to education, health, livelihoods, and community resilience.
Strengthening Communities
This phase focused on interventions to improve access to safe drinking water in tribal hamlets. Disaster response efforts during the Kerala floods demonstrated the organisation’s ability to respond quickly during humanitarian emergencies while supporting long-term recovery.
Standing with Communities During COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges for vulnerable communities. Throughout this period, Karunya Trust remained actively engaged in relief and recovery efforts, providing food support, healthcare assistance, educational support, and emergency relief to families affected by the crisis.
Looking Ahead
Recognising the importance of play in a child’s development, we introduced sports and fitness as part of the learning experience, creating new opportunities for children and youth. The expansion of our non-formal education centres to Kalwa further extended holistic educational support to more children and families.
Today, Karunya Trust continues to grow while remaining rooted in its community-centred approach, working alongside communities to create opportunities for education, health, livelihoods, environmental sustainability, and an improved quality of life, while building strong partnerships that contribute to lasting social change.
