Pandavgad Rural Action Group

The Pandavgad Rural Action Group have come together to assist the people of the rural community of Pandavgad, near the ancient market town of Wai in the State of Maharashtra, India.

We are developing an area of land situated just outside of the village of Pandewadi, which with serve the village itself as well as the neighboring villages of Menawali, Warkhadwali and Shelarwadi.

It may seem ideal. Naturally living off of the land. Surrounded by nature every day. No alarm clock but the sounds of nature… Well the reality is different. Many of the people here are living a hand to mouth existence. They are working for food, clothes and the roof over their head. Communities need more than this. Our aim is to make a difference here. Create stepping stones and opportunities for the young and assist the older generations maintain a higher quality of life.

There is much work to do here…

We have already obtained the land required to allow us complete our ambitions. It overlooks the Krishna valley and is surrounded by the beautiful Wai section of the mountainous region of the Sahyādris.

We are looking to purchase a community ambulance and establish a local medical centre. The ambulance will be used locally yet will also, most importantly provide transport to the nearest emergency unit which lies 30 km away in Satara and to the nearest surgical hospital 100 km away in Pune.

As well as the essential medical assistance we are looking at the beating heart of the community. From both a health and a mental perspective, sports and activities make rural communities bond and come together as much as the religious and spiritual aspects of life here in Pandavgad. We are setting up a number of projects looking at sports from Kushti, the traditional Indian wresting through track and field and the acquisition of sporting equipment. 

Although we have invested in the start of this process we are actively seeking first round funding to kick start the projects. For this we are looking at donations and sponsorship. Behind the scenes we are investigating what backing may be available from the Indian government and NGOs who may be interested in our schemes. It is early days yet however we are positive about the future.

We are actively seeking volunteers, both from India and international visitors who may wish to stay with us for a few months to discover the real India whilst living in a beautiful place and helping make a lasting positive change to the lives of the local people.