SANCHETANA

Sanchetana was started in 1982 on the conviction that the poor slum dwellers have been neglected and exploited by various means, which keeps them in a state of perpetual poverty. Sanchetana’s efforts have been to make the urban poor conscious of these causes of their plight and organize them into cohesive groups, rising above parochial considerations of caste, creed and gender, so that they are able to assert their right to live a dignified and humane life.

Founded by Dr. Hanif Lakdawala, Sanchetana was registered as Public Charitable Trust that facilitates intensive health programs, which aims at strengthening collective actions at the community level so that the poor slum dwellers are able to stand together against exploitation and discrimination.

Beginning from a small clinic in an Ahmedabad slum, Sanchetana has evolved as a human rights body that rallies the urban poor for the common cause of social justice, education, gender equity, women’s empowerment and secularism.

Sanchetana calls for social justice in all aspects of their life so as to transform the nature and practice of state accountability in ensuring adequate conditions where all persons irrespective of their class, caste or age can be healthy.