Innovation Lab 13
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Preparing the community for independence, growth, and fullfillment.
ACORN Foundation India is a non-profit organization and registered charitable trust, founded by Advocate Vinod Shetty in 2008 as an initiative for the protection, education, and welfare of informal waste collectors in Dharavi, Mumbai. ACORN India is affiliated with ACORN International which supports community-based work in countries across the world.
Since 2019, WRAG (Women’s Research and Action Group), a nonprofit organization and registered charitable trust has supported ACORN foundations efforts in Dharavi. WRAG helped in establishing the program fighting for the legal rights of waste collectors and recyclers in Dharavi. Together ACORN and WRAG have brought change to the Dharavi communities, understanding of their rights as citizens and ensured the children from the families had access to quality education to meet their potential. After four years of successful collaboration, we have now partnered with SOSVA (Society for Service to Voluntary Agencies) for our future projects.
In 2009 ACORN launched the Dharavi Project with a community center in Dharavi, where children receive educational support and training in music, art and theatre. One output of this work is the Dharavi Rocks Band. Since its establishment in 2010, the band, which creates music on recycled drums, has performed with established Indian and International musicians at more than 175 shows all over India.
SOSVA, was founded in 1984 by Late Mr. V. Srinivasan, IAS (retd.) with the aim of supporting the non-profit sector through training, technical support, volunteer promotion and related activities. SOSVA’s first chief executive was Mr. JB. D’Souza, former Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai, and its governing council members have included Doctors Raj and Mabel Arole, founders of the professionals…
Innovation Lab 13
Education Project
Food4Plastic For Waste Collectors
Children’s Nutrition
Dharavi Rocks
Health Initiatives
Women’s Group Discussion
UN LIVE Project
Eye Camp
In one of the world’s largest slums, the fight against the coronavirus has turned into a struggle to survive
Our very own Laxmi Kamble features in Bijal Vachharajani and Radha Rangarajan’s book 10 Indian Champions Who are Fighting to Save the Planet.
Shedding light on the Dharavi Lockdown, ACORN India founder Vinod Shetty speaks with BBC about coronavirus in Dharavi.
The book, ‘Mountain Tales: Love and Loss in the Municipality of Castaway Belongings’ by Saumya Roy is based on the lives of waste collectors and recyclers who make their living scavenging through the Deonar Garbage Mountain.
Dharavi faced severe food shortage during lockdown, in the face of which ACORN India’s Hunger Project stepped up to distribute weekly rations and cooking gas.
Support us in bringing about a difference, one step at a time
ACORN Foundation India is a non-profit organization and registered charitable trust, founded by Advocate Vinod Shetty in 2008 as a Welfare Initiative for Informal Waste Collectors in Dharavi, Mumbai, India.
