Atma Mumbai is a foundation with a unique approach operating in Mumbai, India.
Moved by the enormous poverty, and frustrated by the inefficiency and ineffectiveness in the not-for-profit sector in India, two young female social entrepreneurs Lee Bolding (Australia) and Adrienne van Dok (Holland), decided in 2006 to take a leap of faith and start an NGO in Mumbai. Believing that local projects operating at the grassroots level have an enormous potential to effect change, Atma Mumbai – Partners in Educational Development was formed, with the vision that “quality education should be available for children of all caste, gender, religion and background.”
Atma means “soul” in Hindi, and it was the great spirit of Mumbai that inspired the founders to initiate a NGO with a mission to help other NGOs. Atma Mumbai partners with grassroots NGOs working in the areas of childhood and educational development. By working alongside NGOs to address the problems they face, Atma Mumbai builds organisational capacity and sustainability and works to develop accountability and transparency. In operation for just over two years, Atma Mumbai has grown tremendously and its unique model is proving to be a successful and sustainable method for promoting effective social change. Atma Mumbai is both a registered Indian Trust and a foundation based in the Netherlands. It serves as a transparent gateway for volunteers, individuals and companies wishing to support small local projects, and make a big difference. For more information please visit their website www.atmamumbai.org