rural maharashtra

Saraswati Vidyalaya once battled annual floods, broken walls, and dwindling hope. Now, it stands tall on stilts, reborn through local wisdom, low-carbon design, and collective will. This is how architects at unTAG Architecture and Interiors gave a school and a community a second chance.

Aadiwasi Janjagruti, a grassroots initiative in Dhadgaon, Maharashtra, is empowering tribal communities through video storytelling and local media, bridging gaps between villagers and governance. Founded by Nitesh Bhardwaj in 2016, the addresses issues like child labour, sanitation, and corruption.

Madhura Rajvanshi, an English teacher from Phaltan, uses art, storytelling and music to make learning English fun for her students. She has received the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program for International Teachers.

Meet Prafulla Shashikant, a man from Beed, Maharashtra, who has worked tirelessly to ensure quality education to lakhs of children through his organisation VOPA.

Once at midnight, a patient came with a serious heart attack. I had no proper equipment. There no hospital nearby and critical care was 150km away. I was scared because I knew that if he died, I would be thrown out. But then, if he was treated he had 90% chance to live, and if not, 100% chance of death. I chose the former!"

Rattled by the increasing farmer deaths and suicides in rural Maharashtra, specifically in Yavatmal and Vidarbha region, this engineer also decided to opt for farming as a second career to alleviate their sufferings.

Sakhis are women equipped with health devices such as blood pressure machines, glucometers, etc., along with mobile tablets, who visit rural women door-to-door to conduct basic medical tests and surveys in villages.