Shakya Samajik Sanstha
Founded in 2004 in Bhandup, Mumbai, by Sudhir Bagade, Rahul Gaikwad, and Vandana Pandit, the organisation works primarily in Maharashtra, with a focus on the Mumbai, Thane, and Raigad districts. It is dedicated to the social, educational, and economic upliftment of marginalised and backward communities.

Objectives
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Promote a society based on equality and justice, without discrimination of any kind
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Work for the social, educational, and cultural upliftment of poor, marginalised, and backward communities
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Foster leadership development within the most disadvantaged groups
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Establish self-help groups for destitute and widowed women and provide them with skill development training
Key Activities
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​Organising unorganised workers, including sanitation workers, waste pickers, and domestic workers
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Conducting training programmes on organisation building, leadership, and labour rights
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Assisting domestic workers in registering with the Domestic Workers' Welfare Board and accessing social security benefits
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Operating a crisis intervention centre to address domestic violence, violations of women’s rights, and family disputes
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Forming women’s self-help groups and providing skill training, financial literacy, and digital literacy programmes​


Key Achievements
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Organised over 3,000 sanitation workers, 1,500 waste pickers, and 1,200 domestic workers into unions
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Trained 3,000 unorganised workers in worker safety, labour laws, and grievance redressal, in partnership with the Ministry of Labour
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Empowered over 800 women through 80 self-help groups, supporting their economic and social upliftment
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Delivered leadership development and capacity-building programmes for activists to organise marginalised communities more effectively


