For children and young people unable to access education and skill development opportunities, a lack of resources can become a barrier to independence. The Human Welfare Charitable Trust (HWCT) works with underserved communities, focusing on education, digital learning, skill development and women’s empowerment.
“Our vision is to ensure that children and youth who do not get opportunities for education receive proper education and skill development,” says Kalpesh Kabra, Founder and CEO, HWCT. The organisation operates two centres, one in Malad and another in Naigaon, Palghar. Its Naigaon centre came into existence in 2004 as an orphanage. It has since evolved into a centre supporting the wider local community, particularly children, youth and women.
HWCT works with children and their parents through counselling and encourages them to re-enter the education system. The organisation provides what Kabra describes as qualitative education, along with digital learning and other programmes aimed at helping children regain their interest in education. The centre primarily works with communities comprising migrants from rural areas, as well as tribal and Adivasi communities.
The organisation’s digital learning programme starts with basic computer education and progresses to advanced areas such as Python and coding. The objective, Kabra says, is to help children develop skills that can prepare them for their youth years. HWCT also provides meals, books and stationery for children in need. Under their nutritional support programmes, hundreds of children receive nutritional kits and guidance aimed at helping avert malnutrition; and are also provided with grocery-kit.
The Naigaon centre came into existence as an orphanage and has since evolved into a centre supporting the wider local community |
Women’s empowerment is another core area of HWCT’s work. The organisation runs programmes focused on skills and livelihoods to create opportunities for women from underserved communities. One such initiative is ‘Rags to Bags’, through which donated clothes are converted into bags. The bags are then provided to corporates and other partners, with a portion of the remuneration going to the women involved in making them. “The initiative helps in financially contributing to the family, helping them come out of the cycles of poverty,” Kabra says.
The organisation’s work has also received recognition, with HWCT receiving special consultative status from the United Nations in 2022.
Maniti Shah, Co-Founder - ConnectFor, Director - Rosy Blue Foundation |
Maniti Shah, Co-Founder - ConnectFor, Director - Rosy Blue Foundation, shares, "Having seen HWCT’s work up close in Naigaon, what impressed me most is the deep sense of trust and warmth they have built within the community. In remote areas, where basic support is often out of reach, HWCT has become far more than an NGO, it is a true safe haven for entire families. Their approach goes well beyond temporary relief because they focus on nurturing the whole ecosystem, from educating children and feeding them fresh food to giving women sustainable livelihoods. When you empower a mother and give a child a healthy foundation, you aren't just helping individuals; you are breaking long-standing cycles of poverty. HWCT is living proof that true social progress begins by restoring dignity at the grassroots level."
If you would like to get in touch with the NGO, you can email at partnerships@hwctindia.org.
