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ACORN Foundation India has been working in the Dharavi area of Mumbai since 2008. Dharavi, one of the largest worker’s colonies has a population of 7 to 8,00,000 people. It is also one of the largest hubs of recycling in India handling nearly 50% of the dry waste generated by Mumbai. The Dharavi Project, started by ACORN Foundation is an initiative for the welfare of rag pickers/waste collectors and their families in “Dharavi”. ACORN today collects & recycles, dry waste from many schools and offices in Mumbai i.e. The American School (ASB), The Dhirubhai Ambani School (DAS), The Oberoi International School, The German School (DSB) and office establishments like Bloomberg, Marsh Insurance, etc. ACORN started a community center in Dharavi with its own resources, which acts as an office, recycling center, library, and school for the community.
Within a few years, along with welfare activities ACORN has started an informal education project for the children and youth of Dharavi community. Classroom activity in the subjects of Geography, English. History, Music, Craft, Dance and Drama are conducted. There’s also a Innovation Lab set up for Computer Literacy classes at the center. The kids who belong to ages 12 to 25 are from some of the most marginalized and underprivileged sections of society. Many of them have been breadwinners for their families from a very young age. As part of its outreach program ACORN also plays host to many Academics, Researchers, Artists, International Students and Volunteers from Universities and Schools. ACORN has been the subject of many researchers and documentary film projects from all over the world. ACORN is also imparting training to the youth of Dharavi in various skills to prepare them for their future jobs and careers.
ACORN India Foundation has been working in the Dharavi area of Mumbai since 2008. Dharavi being one of the largest workers colonies has a population of 7 – 8,00,000 people. It is one of the largest hubs of recycling in India handling nearly handling 50% of the dry waste generated by Mumbai. ACORN Foundation is a registered non-profit public trust founded by Adv. Vinod Shetty. Women’s Research and Action Project (WRAG) is a registered Trust with 80G certification and FCRA compliance. It has been started by a group of Women academic researchers led by Vahida Nainar and Dr. Vibhuti Patel to work with the marginalized sections of society in informal settlements like Dharavi. The Dharavi Project is a initiative started by ACORN Foundation for the welfare of rag pickers/waste collectors and their families in “Dharavi”. One of the first projects undertaken by ACORN was producing a documentary on the lives of young recyclers/waste collectors in the Dharavi area. The film “WASTE” was directed by Parashar Barua and over the last 10 years screened in over 75 colleges schools & institutions of Mumbai and viewed by 100,000 people.
Having done its research and fieldwork ACORN then started a community centre in Dharavi with its own resources in 2009. The eleven year old centre has now been relocated in the t-junction area on the Bandra-Sion Link Road. It acts as a office, recycling centre, library, studio, innovation laboratory and school for the community. ACORN today collects & recycles dry waste from many schools and offices in Mumbai i.e The American School (ASB), The Dhirubhai Ambani School (DAS), The Oberoi International School, The German School (DSB) and corporates i.e Bloomberg, Marsh Insurance, Amazon etc.
Within a few years of its existence in Dharavi, along with welfare activities ACORN started a informal education project for the children and youth of the community. The boys and girls who attend ACORN’s classroom and participate in ACORN’s recreational activities, numbering 150 are from different economic and social backgrounds. The kids belong to ages 10 to 25 and are from some of the most marginalized and underprivileged sections of society. Many of these kids, from a young age, have had to work and become breadwinners for their families.
ACORN Foundation India is a non-profit organization and registered charitable trust, founded by Advocate Vinod Shetty in 2008 as a Welfare Initiative for Informal Waste Collectors in Dharavi, Mumbai, India.
