AVANI Kolhapur: A Year of Hope, Empowerment & Ahimsa in Action

For over three decades, AVANI Sanstha, has stood as a beacon of dignity and empowerment in Kolhapur, India. Through its Home for Girls, Waste Management Programs, and Women’s Empowerment Initiatives, AVANI continues to transform lives across Maharashtra. The past year reflects their ongoing dedication to ahimsa in action — turning compassion into tangible social change. AVANI is led by Anuradha Bhosale, a former child laborer whose life journey has become a testament to resilience and service. Through her vision and determination, thousands of women and children have reclaimed their rights, education, and sense of belonging.

🕊️ 1Q 2025 | Honoring a Legacy of Service

In February, Anuradha Bhosale was nominated for Maharashtrian of the Year by Lokmat Media — a fitting recognition for her grassroots leadership.

Her daughter, Kadambari Bhosale, wrote movingly of her mother’s journey:

“She has brought education to more than 86,000 children, empowered waste-picker women, and given abandoned lives dignity and purpose.”

This milestone served not merely as an award nomination but as a call to action — to expand AVANI’s reach and amplify its mission for justice, equality, and sustainable livelihoods.

“Every year, heavy migration occurs due to drought in the Marathwada region, as families travel in search of work on brickyards and sugarcane farms. Along with their parents, children also migrate, and in the absence of accessible schools, many are forced into child labor. To address this, AVANI operates day care centers across three districts, where children ages 6–14 are guided by teachers to nearby schools. We also work closely with parents, sensitizing them to the importance of education and the long-term benefits of keeping children in school. In parallel, we maintain ongoing advocacy with the government’s education department to strengthen policy action and accountability. Over the past 30 years, these combined efforts have enabled more than 86,000 children to be enrolled and regularized in schools.” — Anuradha Bhosale, President, AVANI

🌱 2Q 2025 | Environment Day – Turning Awareness into Action

In July, AVANI partnered with the Alliance of Indian Wastepickers and Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd for Utsav Punarchakrikaran — a Festival of Reuse and Recycle held in Kolhapur.

Workshops empowered local families and women waste-picker groups to:

Make bio-enzymes from kitchen waste
Prepare organic fertilizers
Craft eco-friendly leaf plates as plastic alternatives
Grow food in terrace gardens within limited spaces

The event showcased how small, community-led steps rooted in local knowledge can create real environmental impact. For AVANI’s women waste pickers, it wasn’t just education — it was recognition of their expertise as guardians of sustainability.

🌼 3Q 2025 | Empowerment Through Education

In August, the AVANI 101 Series spotlighted the AVANI Home for Girls, a sanctuary for children in need of care and protection.

This home provides more than shelter — it creates a nurturing environment for healing and growth through:

💛 Safety & Belonging
📚 Return to Education
🫶 Counseling & Family Healing
🌸 Reintegration with Dignity

Each day at AVANI begins with care, not chaos. Staff and “house mothers” ensure that every child feels protected, valued, and guided toward a second chance at childhood.

AVANI’s outreach extends to the most marginalized—migrant families working in brick kilns and sugarcane fields across Maharashtra. For these communities, education often stops when families migrate for seasonal labor. AVANI bridges this gap by transforming makeshift shelters into mobile classrooms, ensuring that children continue to learn, play, and grow despite the instability of their surroundings.

🕉️ Navratri 2025 | A Celebration of Faith, Strength & Inspiration

From September 22 – October 1, 2025, AVANI Balgruha transformed Navratri into a vibrant celebration of empowerment. The girls managed the festivities through their own Child Rights Forum, showcasing leadership, teamwork, and creativity.

Each girl was honored as a “Goddess of Knowledge, Health, Technology, Courage, Service, Art and Food,” highlighting her unique gifts and resilience.

Guest speakers — educators, doctors, and advocates — shared stories of self-care, discipline, and purpose.

“Every girl is a Goddess in her own way,” reflected Anuradha Bhosale. “When faith meets education, transformation begins.”

💪 Women & Enterprise – Hirkani Empowerment Project

Earlier in the year, AVANI hosted Walvan Mahotsav under its Hirkani Women’s Empowerment Project, where local entrepreneurs exhibited homemade goods. Women who once relied on informal labor now operate small businesses, modeling resilience for their communities.

🌍 Looking Ahead

As 2025 draws to a close, AVANI continues expanding its reach across Maharashtra — nurturing children, empowering women, and promoting environmental stewardship. Their work exemplifies the Gandhian vision of Sarvodaya — upliftment for all — and the Gandhi Worldwide Education Institute-Ahimsa Peace Institute is honored to stand beside them as a global partner in compassion-based development.

AVANI’s work with women and children directly advances the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals — including ending poverty, ensuring quality education, achieving gender equality, promoting decent work, building sustainable communities, and strengthening global partnerships.