Saath Charitable Trust

21/08/2026

AI is entering the everyday businesses of India’s micro-entrepreneurs. But what is it really changing?

For women running home-based enterprises, tailoring businesses, food ventures, small shops or artisan businesses, AI may not look like a futuristic technology.
It can look like a better product description.
A quicker business decision.
A new way to reach customers.
Or simply a tool that helps save time.

But how are informal micro-entrepreneurs actually using AI—and what difference is it making to their livelihoods?
Effect of AI Adoption on Women Entrepreneurs, supported and guided by the GAME - Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship, explores this question through surveys and focus group discussions with 382 micro-entrepreneurs across six cities.

What does the data tell us?
71% reported saving time after adopting AI tools.
65.6% reported better marketing outcomes.
20.3% reported an increase in sales.
The findings point to an interesting pattern: the benefits of AI may emerge first in everyday business practices—such as saving time and strengthening marketing—while the impact on sales can take longer to materialise.

The larger question is not simply “Are micro-entrepreneurs using AI?”
It is:
Can AI become a meaningful, practical tool for women building and growing their livelihoods—reaching the last mile where technology is often hardest to access and use?

Understanding that distinction matters.
Because the value of AI will not be defined only by what the technology can do.
It will also be defined by who can use it, how they use it, and whether it creates real value in their everyday lives and businesses.
📖 Read the full report:
https://saath.org/public/storage/pdfs/annual_reports/3swz3qfywcJ5TiKoSHgy4vQcbAo7PL7XGnDDgKea.pdf

19/08/2026

Strengthening Community-Level Pathways to Surgical Care!

Access to healthcare is not only about the availability of treatment—it is also about ensuring that people can identify their health needs, navigate referrals, overcome barriers and stay connected to care.

As part of the Surgical Accredited & Trained Healthcare Initiative (SATHI) Project, Finolex and Mukul Madhav Foundation organised a two-day training on 5–6 August 2026 to strengthen community-level pathways for people with unmet surgical and medical needs.
For the past three years, SAATH, with support from Finolex and Mukul Madhav Foundation, has been working in Ahmedabad to address unmet surgical and medical needs. Building on this experience, the approach is now being replicated in Pune, led by Sevadham Trust.

The SAATH team participated as a technical and knowledge-sharing resource, bringing its field experience to support the Sevadham Trust team in strengthening systems for identifying, referring and supporting patients with surgical needs.

The training focused on:
→ Early identification of potential surgical needs
→ Empathetic counselling of patients and families
→ Timely referrals and hospital coordination
→ Patient support through treatment and follow-up
→ Collaboration with ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers and community leaders
→ Strengthening screening, data management and documentation

A key learning from the training was that identifying a surgical need is only the beginning. Meaningful support requires walking alongside patients through the entire journey—from identification and counselling to referral, treatment, follow-up and continuity of care.

At SAATH, we believe that stronger community systems can help bridge the gap between healthcare services and the people who need them most.

18/08/2026

From Awareness to Action: Enabling Women, Building Thriving Communities!

Awareness becomes meaningful when it opens pathways to support, opportunities and informed action.

In Vagra, Bharuch, Saath Charitable Trust, in collaboration with the District Women & Child Development Department, Bharuch, organised a Women-Focused Awareness Camp, bringing together 102 women beneficiaries and ICDS staff.

The camp focused on strengthening awareness of key government services and support mechanisms, including:
• One Stop Centre and support services
• Ganga Swarupa Economic Assistance (Pension) Scheme
• Government schemes and services for women
• Available support and opportunities for greater participation in community life

The programme also formed part of the Brahma Kumaris’ “10 Crore De-Addiction Pledge Campaign,” encouraging participants to take a collective pledge against alcohol, to***co and other addictive substances and contribute towards a healthier society.

For SAATH, meaningful community engagement is about taking information where it matters, connecting communities with relevant institutions, and making pathways to support easier to navigate.

When women are informed, connected and equipped to act, they can make stronger choices for themselves, their families and their communities.
And that is how communities move forward—and thrive.

15/08/2026

A stronger India begins when every community has the opportunity to thrive.

Independence is more than the freedom we inherited. It is the freedom to learn, earn, live with dignity, stay healthy, access opportunities and build a resilient future.

At Saath Charitable Trust, we work alongside communities to make this freedom a reality — strengthening education, livelihoods, healthcare, financial and digital access, liveable communities, and climate resilience.

Because lasting change happens when communities have the opportunity, agency and resources to shape their own future.
This Independence Day, we celebrate the freedom to thrive — together.

Happy Independence Day!

12/08/2026

| 12 August 2026

Young Minds. New Possibilities. Stronger Communities.

Young people are not only shaping the future — they are contributing to the social and economic life of their communities today. Their ideas, aspirations and capabilities can become powerful drivers of progress when they have access to the right opportunities and support.

At Saath Charitable Trust, we believe that meaningful youth development goes beyond building skills. It is about creating pathways to livelihoods, confidence, participation and opportunity — enabling young people to translate their potential into progress for themselves, their families and their communities.

This International Youth Day, we reaffirm the importance of investing in young people and the ecosystems that enable them to thrive.

Because when young people move forward, families and communities move forward with them.

07/08/2026

| 7 August

Every Thread Holds a Story
Every Weaver Holds a Legacy.
Handloom is more than what we wear.
It is knowledge passed down generations.
It is skill shaped by years of practice.
It is culture woven by hand.
And for millions of artisan families, it is a livelihood.

When we support handloom, we do more than preserve a craft—we help sustain livelihoods, strengthen artisan communities and keep India’s living heritage thriving.

At Saath Charitable Trust, we work to connect heritage with opportunity. Through interventions like Rweaves Saath, we support artisan livelihoods and help traditional crafts find a place in today’s markets.
Because a craft survives when its artisans can thrive.

This National Handloom Day, let us celebrate not just the weave, but the hands, stories and livelihoods behind it.
Honouring India’s weavers.
Celebrating our living heritage.
Supporting the future of handloom.

Bella Joshi | Rajendra Joshi | Chinmayi Desai |

06/08/2026

Urban India’s challenges are complex. The response must be collective.

Saath Charitable Trust is honoured to be among the founding members of the Urban Reforms Collective (URC) — bringing together organisations committed to strengthening urban governance and advancing meaningful reforms across India’s cities.

We believe lasting urban transformation calls for collective action, shared learning, and sustained engagement with policy and governance systems.
We look forward to contributing to this shared journey and working with fellow members towards stronger, more resilient and well-governed cities.

🔗 Read the Hindustan Times story: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/mumbai-civil-groups-launch-urban-reforms-collective-to-push-city-policy-reforms-101780401654690.html

URC will act as a platform aimed at pushing policy reforms in Indian cities through coordinated advocacy and engagement | India News

05/08/2026

is a holy month that inspires faith, compassion, and acts of kindness. As we embrace this sacred month, let us celebrate its spirit through the simple act of feeding those in need.

Through Saath's Ration Support Programme, vulnerable widows, elderly persons, and families with no earning members receive essential monthly food kits—helping them live with dignity and ensuring that no one sleeps hungry.

Your support can make a meaningful difference.
💛 ₹1,500 provides a 1-month ration kit for 1 family
💛 ₹3,000 supports 2 families with 1-month ration kits
👉 Donate here: https://rzp.io/rzp/1pbJvxQ

In this sacred month of Shravan, share the joy of giving by helping a family put food on their table.

03/08/2026

Strengthening Women-led Enterprises and Expanding Economic Opportunity!

At SAATH’s Centre, a recent visit by Mr. Joe from Shivia created space for meaningful dialogue with our Beautypreneurs — bringing together recognition, reflection and learning from the field.

The conversations explored the realities of building and sustaining a business: the challenges Beautypreneurs navigate, how training is translating into confidence and capability, and what additional support can help them take their enterprises forward.

The certification ceremony marked an important milestone, recognising their commitment to completing the training. But equally important were the conversations around what comes next — how can enterprise support remain responsive to lived realities, unlock greater economic opportunity and enable more resilient livelihoods?

At SAATH, we see community engagement not simply as programme delivery, but as a continuous process of listening, learning and adapting. Insights from the field help us strengthen our approaches, build more responsive support systems and create pathways for women to move from skills and opportunity towards sustainable enterprise growth.

Because lasting change is shaped not only by what we deliver, but by what we learn — and how we act on it.

30/07/2026

Every city has a story. But whose stories do we remember?

Behind every road, every neighbourhood, every marketplace, and every home are countless hands that built them. Yet, the lives and labour of informal workers often remain unseen.

Mehnat Manzil – Museum of Work invites you to step into their world through immersive exhibits, powerful stories, photographs, installations, and interactive experiences that offer a new perspective on the people who shape our cities every day.

Come with curiosity.
Leave with understanding.

📍 Visit Us
Mehnat Manzil – Museum of Work
Bungalow No. 1, Pathan Ni Chali,
Near India Row Houses,
Opp. APMC Market Gate No. 3,
132 Feet Ring Road, Gupta Nagar, Vasna,
Ahmedabad, Gujarat – 380007

🕥 Visiting Hours
10:30 AM – 5:30 PM
(Open to students, researchers, families, institutions, and the general public.)