Our work
Four areas of work across six districts of Maharashtra. Figures below are taken from our annual report for 2024-25 unless stated otherwise.
Nagpur · ongoing
Domestic workers are among the largest and most vulnerable groups in India's informal workforce. Most are women from poor and migrant families, with low and irregular pay, no social security and little legal protection.
BGAVS has worked with domestic women workers in Nagpur for more than 15 years, and has played a leading part in organising them and in advocating for the Maharashtra Domestic Workers Welfare Board, which gives access to identity cards, social security and welfare schemes.
Supported by Fund for Global Human Rights and Global Greengrants Fund.
Chandrapur and Wardha · ongoing
Agriculture is the main livelihood for most rural families in Chandrapur and Wardha. Marginal farmers face falling soil fertility, rising costs and uncertain rainfall, while rural women have little access to credit or institutional support.
Since February 2026 BGAVS has been working with 300 families, marginal farmers and women below the poverty line, in 10 villages of Seloo block, Wardha. Village groups are being formed and strengthened, ponds are being developed, and every farmer is receiving training in natural farming and crop management. The initiative is supported through CSR funding from LIC Housing Finance Limited.
Lawada, Melghat, Amravati · SFURTI
Bamboo craft is among the oldest occupations of tribal and rural communities, but artisans have struggled with poor infrastructure, old techniques, limited credit and weak markets. The Ministry of MSME's Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) supports artisan clusters, and BGAVS was entrusted with the bamboo cluster at Lawada on 17 February 2021.
The cluster brings together 945 artisans, most of them from tribal and other disadvantaged communities.
Implemented under the SFURTI scheme, Ministry of MSME, Government of India.
Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh
Work that began with child care and youth leadership continues alongside our other programmes.
BGAVS has run 147 creches in tribal and rural areas of Maharashtra, supporting more than 4,400 children with care and nutrition, helping reduce malnutrition and preparing them for primary school. Child development work has also been done in Korba, Chhattisgarh.
In 2024-25, leadership programmes ran in 20 villages and 10 schools, covering communication, civic responsibility and value education. Young leaders in Chandrapur also meet regularly to discuss local governance and government schemes.
Village meetings in 20 villages bring families together to talk about the effect of alcohol on health, income and community life, and to support people trying to give it up through counselling and collective responsibility.
What we have learned
Most domestic workers did not know their rights or the schemes meant for them. Everything else builds on that knowledge.
Self-help groups, women's collectives and local leaders give programmes ownership that outlives any project.
Demonstrations, local language and farmer-to-farmer learning work better than classroom sessions.
Help with identity documents, bank accounts and registrations turns eligibility into actual benefits.
We welcome conversations with funders, government departments and civil society partners.
