The Raahat Foundation was established on June 7, 2017, with the aim of providing and extending meaningful help to society.
At Raahat we believe in social change by empowering the most vulnerable members of the underprivileged communities – women, youth and children.
People Behind the Show:
- Azhar Tambuwala : Chairman and Trustee
- Aiman Mehta: Trustee
- Aruna Tambuwala: Trustee
- Amina Tambuwala: Trustee
Our Work So Far:
Setting up a Community Centre like Raah-Literacy & Cultural Centre, under the aegis of The Raahat Foundation offers a place for the many talented people in Pune to practice their talent and hone their skills.
Raah is a catalyst for community development by providing a platform for expression. The aim of Raah is to build the strength, capacity and influence of the community and neighborhood by bringing together artistic and intellectual expression. This has been accomplished by engaging in inclusive activities, cultural, educational, charitable and intellectual expansion.
The rationale and philosophy behind setting up Raah is to provide a dedicated multi-purpose art and recreation space for people of all ages for their artistic, intellectual, recreational, cultural and charitable expressions.
We believe that developing Arts and Culture helps in the socio-economic development of an individual by complimenting academics and other life skills. It provides a source of employment and self-reliance among the young and forms a very important creative and artistic talent inherent in individuals.
We aim to use the artistic forum to Discover these talents, Nurture them and Promote them as part of our community development responsibility. We want people to come forward and participate in all Raah activities and be great contributors too.
- The Teaching Program is a significant part of the work of The Raahat Foundation. Our vision is to ‘Discover, Nurture & Promote Artistic and Other Talents amongst the not so fortunate too.
We organize regular classes that are lead by artists who teach their genre of art to provide training to the slum children with the goal of further developing their talents. We are currently teaching dancing, music, painting, yoga and reading to kids. The focus is mostly on young boys and girls between the ages of 9 – 18 years who wish to utilize their talents. - We are currently teaching yoga, bag making, soap making, beautician courses and tailoring to underprivileged women around Pune to make them self sufficient and self reliant.
- We regularly conduct Storytelling sessions in different slums of Pune
- The Raahat Foundation has successfully conducted African Djembe drumming sessions for kids in these slums. The children enjoy these sessions thoroughly as apart from learning a new skill, music is a great stress buster and these children who are often exposed to violence and aggression in their homes and surroundings find it very therapeutic.
- At Raahat, we believe that the best gift you can give your family is Health. Hence, we have organized marathons and fitness workshops to encourage discipline and good health as well.
- The Raahat Foundation conducts regular donation drives. We have distributed clothes, blankets, food, stationery, books and lots more to the deserving in society.
- The Raahat Foundation looks after many inmates in old age homes in Pune, who have no one to care for them or pay for their medical and other regular expenses.
Our Future Plans
Sports:
The idea is to begin with a small-scale sport development and promotion project in Pune with
experienced coaches. We will start with one sport, mainly football, and embrace the children of one slum community to build a proof of concept and success.
We envisage hosting a girls’ football exchange program to the Netherlands. The idea is to
take a group of talented young girls to the Netherlands to attend a week-long football and
cultural exchange program.
Rural Libraries:
The Raahat Foundation has a plan to become involved in literacy at rural levels, by installing small-scale
Rural Libraries. This project will make a significant contribution to rural children,
Women’s Empowerment
We will donate 50 cows to 50 rural women in Nashik/Pune regions in 2020.
Women who receive cows become economically active, with the milk from their cows
providing an additional income which is sufficient to support herself and her family.
We hope to make this an annual project.
Some of the activities undertaken by Raahat.
- Story telling session in progress.
- Students teaching art to slum children.
- Sports Day being held at the India Sponsorship Committee in Yerwada
