What Avani does
Avani works in Kolhapur, in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Their mission, in their own words, is to create “a just and equal society for children and women in India by breaking cycles of poverty and exploitation.”
Avani is led by Anuradha Bhosale, its co-founder and chairperson. The organization is unusually disciplined for its scale: it reports that 83% of its operating expenses fund direct programs, not overhead.
Children
Rescue and rehabilitation, education access, prevention of child labor, day-care centers for migrant children.
Women
Economic empowerment, skill-building, labor rights advocacy, exits from exploitation.
Community
Community-led development, environmental work (waste management, composting, recycling), sustainable practices grounded in local leadership.
The Gandhi family connection
Avani operates the Sunanda Gandhi Home for Girls, a residential facility for girls rescued from harmful situations. Sunanda Gandhi was the wife of Arun Gandhi (Mahatma’s grandson) and the mother of Tushar Gandhi, who serves on the Gandhi-King Center’s board. A plaque at the home reads:
The Sunanda Gandhi Home for Girls has been built with funds contributed by American and Indian friends of Mahatma Gandhi and family in memory of Bapu and Ba’s concern for people living in poverty.
The plaque at the entrance to the Sunanda Gandhi Home for Girls, Avani, Kolhapur. Photographed January 2023.
This is what partnership looks like when it is more than a press release: a building, a name, a continuity of intent across continents and generations. The Gandhi-King Center stands alongside Avani in the same lineage the plaque names.
How we met
The Gandhi-King Center met Avani during the Gandhi Legacy Tour in January 2023, the same tour where Dr. Oroszi traveled with Tushar Gandhi and Dr. Ellis as the Center’s founding U.S. representative. The visit to the Avani campus and the Sunanda Gandhi Home for Girls is part of the trip that became the founding evidence of the Center’s international work.
Where to learn more
Avani’s own website is at avani.org.in. They accept direct donations on their site, publish their financial breakdown, and welcome international partners and volunteer engagements. The Gandhi-King Center is not a fiscal sponsor for Avani; donations go directly to Avani through their own channels.
To inquire about joint programming with Avani through the Gandhi-King Center, or to be introduced to their leadership, write to Admin@gandhi-king-center-for-nonviolence.org or use the contact form and mention Avani in your message.