About Us

The Lokshahir Sitaram Babu Sonawane Charitable Trust, established in 2017, is headquartered at Unit No. 32, Aarey Colony, Goregaon (East), Mumbai. The trust runs various projects, including Manthan, Anand, Unnati, Jagruti, and MARJI. In 2018, the trust initiated a study class for school-going children aged 8 to 18 years in the local community of Unit No. 32. Upon engaging with the community, the trust discovered that the area was predominantly inhabited by low-income, daily-wage workers living in make shift huts, with high illiteracy rates and a severe lack of basic amenities such as water and sanitation facilities.

The organization began working with the community in Unit No. 32, Aarey Colony, Goregaon East, an area primarily inhabited by laborers in the unorganized sector with low literacy levels. In most households, both parents are working, leaving their children at home until evening. Although the children attend school, their educational progress is largely unmonitored. This lack of supervision leaves them vulnerable to negative influences and the risk of encounters with wild animals. There was also no secure space where the children could seek refuge from these threats.

To support this community, it was crucial to raise awareness about their rights and responsibilities. The organization initiated a study class for school-going children, providing a safe space where they could learn under the guidance of a female supervisor. Another pressing issue was the lack of sanitation facilities for women, who had to use open spaces as toilets. To address this, the organization collaborated with local authorities and successfully installed six toilets specifically for women and children.

Additionally, the community faced significant challenges with water access, having to pay fees to water mafias to meet their needs. Through successful negotiations with the water department, the organization secured water taps for the community. A Women’s Water Tap Committee was also established to empower women to manage and oversee their water resources independently.

In 2020, while working with community people, it was found that there was no awareness regarding their right and duties which were already given by our Indian Constitution. They are also unaware about how to fight against their injustice. While discussing this issue with our think tank, we had decided to start a movement name MARJI to legally aware and prepare people to fight against their injustice. Basically, it is a people’s movement. We had setup an office in Kurla East, Mumbai with only staff. We were counseling people, drafting their grievance on paper and prepare victim to fight for his/her injustice.