Renewing Land, Water & Rural Lives
An integrated sustainable development organization pioneering community-led watershed management, women empowerment, and ecological restoration across Maharashtra.
“Whatever is connected with land and life – soil, water, forest, air, animals and human beings – is our sacred mission.”
Who We Are
Social Centre is a philanthropic organization of Pune Jesuit Province engaged in integrated comprehensive sustainable development of communities in the drought-prone Ahmednagar district and other surrounding districts of Maharashtra.
Since its establishment by Fr. Hermann Bacher in the year 1966 various pioneering interventions have been undertaken in poverty alleviation programmes based on the natural resources available in the villages such as land, soil, water, forest, air, animals and human beings, in short whatever is connected with land and life.
Social Centre is a pioneering institution that designed the “Ridge to Valley Watershed Development Programme” with active participation of people at every stage of its implementation. It became so successful that the Government of India took it up as a national programme and promoted it across several states of India through NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development).
Since then Social Centre has worked in more than 197 villages in Ahmednagar, Beed, Akola, Amravati districts of Maharashtra State in India. It is a recipient of many awards for its innovative, holistic, conceptual development programmes and projects.
Our Key Interventions
Comprehensive grassroots rural transformation through ecology, healthcare, and community empowerment.
01
Development Programmes & Projects
To provide a sustainable solution to recurring drought situations, Social Centre launched comprehensive watershed development, soil regeneration, and rainwater harvesting initiatives across vulnerable rural zones.
02
People We Work With
Social Centre builds active awareness, empowers women self-help groups, and assists marginalized tribal families to access government development schemes and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
03
Institutions of Social Centre
Dedicated humanitarian institutions including Saheli (empowerment for the Adolescent Girl Child) and Ashakiran (compassionate rehabilitation and medical care for HIV-infected children).
04
Education & Research Centre
Through holistic training and grassroots research, Social Centre equips local farmers, women, and rural youth with technical knowledge, leadership skills, and sustainable farming methods.
Vision & Mission
Vision
Integrated development of the weaker, exploited, and deprived sections of the society.
Mission
Social Centre works towards the integrated development of socially, economically, educationally, morally, culturally and politically weaker sections through grassroots participation.
Area Of Operation
Social Centre’s area of operation is in the State of Maharashtra, in central peninsular India. Our interventions are focused in rural and tribal villages of Ahmednagar, Beed, Akola, and Amravati districts.
Beed
Akola
Amravati
Key Projects in Action
Discover our on-ground watershed and rural empowerment initiatives across Maharashtra.
Collaborating Partners
Honours & Awards
Conferred by the State Government of Maharashtra for pioneering watershed & forestry development.
Recipient of multiple state and civil society awards for innovative, holistic, conceptual rural development programmes.