Our mission is to build individual and organisational capabilities that enable marginalized groups in the community through programmes that focus on people with disabilities, education, livelihood, skill development, nutrition, healthcare, sanitation and creating better living conditions. We aim to create an inclusive society for people with disabilities and other marginalized sections of the society by providing them with equal opportunities to lead an independent life.
Arushi grew as an idea, not as an organization. Perhaps this is the reason we are ‘Volunteer Lead’ and have a deep bond with people who kept joining us organically, often bringing their friends along, too. We learned early on that in working with the disabled, professionals can’t fill the gap. It requires people with burning passion to make a difference. Our volunteers remain very important till this day and play a pivotal role in the growth of Arushi.
Our approach to helping the disabled is to take innovative ideas and run with them. Arushi was and will remain a movement that was willing to accept new things and eager to innovate without fear. We look for heart in our people, not qualifications. Hierarchy and red-tape have to be checked in at the door. The most important part of our approach is to take the disabled out of ‘special homes’ and ‘centres’ and bring them into the mainstream.
The idea of Arushi germinated when one of our founders, Anil Mudgal, got a call for help from a friend, who said that a visually impaired assistant professor in a Bhopal college needed readers to help him prepare for his lectures. This professor was Rohit Trivedi, our other founder, and it was this one phone call that started a friendship in 1989 that has now blossomed as Arushi. Rohit and Anil along with their friends Vipin, Sunil and DS Chauhan then began recording audio books for 5 visually impaired school children, reading to the blind and raising funds to pay for the education of these children.
Over the years, Arushi has grown to encompass work that develops capabilities in people with any disability and other groups of our society who are marginalized by the mainstream.
Arushi, which means "the first ray of sun", strives to integrate people with disabilities into the mainstream of society.
In 1992, five like-minded friends came together and started working for issues concerned with Environmental Protection. The focus of their efforts shifted towards “people with visual impairment” and they started recording study material for them on audiocassettes. This was a genuinely felt need and eventually their empowerment and integration into the mainstream became the focus. This pulled a number of volunteers into the fold. Over the years, the organization has evolved and has broad based its activities to address possible issues related with disability.
Beneficiaries benefited from audio books
Students since inception
Students currently enrolled
Special educators and therapists
Sensitisation programmes held
Monuments made accessible for visually impaired persons
Hours of books recorded
Excursions organised for students
Volunteers
Arushi has been the recipient for many prestigious awards for our work over the years.
To accomplish its aims, Arushi performs an extensive range of activities and provides services to the disabled and their families. This enormous task is made possible by the support and efforts of hundreds of volunteers, who come from varied fields, professions and age groups. These are the stories of our journey with them.
Rohit and Anil first met Gulzar Sa’ab when was visiting Bhopal, much before Arushi was even registered. Our intrepid founders walked up to him, talked about the work they were doing with the visually impaired and were rewarded by a warmth in response that still envelopes this very special relationship even today. “Bas seeti maar dena”, said Gulzar Sa’ab, promising to help them in any way he could.
And what help that has been! Gulzar Sa’ab has collected cassettes for Arushi and still has a collection box at home even today. Arushi, in turn, surprised him with 6000 children’s artwork for a ‘Kaayda’ he was writing. Gulzar Sa’ab trumped this with helping in the 2001 census exercise with posters and training and then again in 2011 with a documentary film, audio and video spots and the rallying cry of “Tumhara haq hai aage aao, jo bhi ho, jaise bhi ho, naam likhao.”
A coffee table book, designing marathon tees and placards, calendars, the Arushi anthem, judging poetry competitions and many a poster on disability later, Dadu, the beloved patriarch of the Arushi family, is clearly winning the giving game.
A staunch supporter since 1992 who never says no, Mr. Mishra is a MP cadre administrative services officer and the erstwhile Chief Information Commissioner of MP.
He has been our guide and counsellor for all matters that require support from the administration support. He understands the ethos of Arushi and as lent unconditional support to us through our journey.
Vishal met Anil and Rohit through Gulzar Sa’ab. Then Vishal met a very determined blind boy in Mumbai who wanted study. He sent the boy to Arushi and the chance meeting turned into long-lasting friendship.
Arushi sought his help when they were planning to establish a recording studio for the audio books. Vishal sent over no one less than Daman Sood, the leading sound recording engineer of the time. Daman and his team personally designed and built Arushi’s recording studio which is a state-of-art facility of professional standards.
Rekha and Arushi became friends through Vishal. Rekha is a frequent visitor at Arushi and her visits are a ray of sunshine every child awaits eagerly.
Rekha has graciously lent her melodious voice to the Arushi anthem penned by Gulzar Sa’ab and composed by Vishal and has also the taught it to the children of Arushi. She frequently holds workshops at Arushi and organised a fundraising show with Arushi volunteers.
Vikas is a successful industrialist and has been associated with the organization for the past 10 years as a volunteer. He supports the organization with his management skills and resourcefulness as and when required.
Shefali is a Bangalore based freelance writer, marketing communications professional, consulting editor, feature writer and storyteller. She has been associated with Arushi since its inception and helps Arushi in its social media campaigns, documentation and all content generation.
Anil is a social entrepreneur and social worker. He was the founding member of Arushi and got associated with visually impaired children when he worked as a volunteer. He initiated reading to the blind, recording books and raising funds to pay for the education of these children. His resourcefulness, commitment, orientation towards action and determination came in handy when Anil along with four of his friends started Arushi in 1992.
Sanjeev is a wireless communication technologist and has been working in this domain for over two decades with government, semi-government and corporate organisations. As the proprietor of Quiss Enterprises, he designs custom wireless solutions for his clients. He has been associated with Arushi for 20 years and his contributions have been innumerable.
Harsh is a sports person and works for the Central Excise Department of the Government of MP.
His commitment, dedication and motivation has been an anchor point for activities of the organization since its inception and he has been a dedicated volunteer.
Vipin is a faculty member in Barkatullah University, Bhopal and has been actively associated with various voluntary organizations working in the field of education, environment and disability.
He is part of the team of 5 that has initially started Arushi and remains our keystone/ advisor.
