Harshad Pendse

About Me

My running journey is almost parallel to my volunteering with Maitri. I have been running marathon for last 12 years and year 2025 saw me getting in TMM Legends club upon completing ten full marathons at Mumbai.

I have been volunteering for Maitri for more than ten years now. My first visit to Melghat was for the educational program called '100 days school'. The motive was to bring back 'out of school' students to school in following educational year. 'Maitri's' objective of bringing 40 children who had dropped out of school or were unable to attend school due to various reasons back into the stream of education was a total success. Today, these children after re-enrolling them in primary schools have been studying and reached different ashram schools in the region. They and their parents have also gained the confidence that they can learn if they get good guidance.

The feature of Maitri that I like the most is that the citizens from different social, economic and political backgrounds came together for a good cause and have continued to work together for more than twenty-five years.

Appeal

Maitri (https://www.maitripune.net/) is volunteer-based organization founded in 1997 after a group of friends visited Melghat after reading disturbing news of high rates of infant mortality and malnutrition in Korku tribal community in Melghat.

Melghat falls in Amaravati District of Maharashtra The mission was to eradicate these problems and eventually bring in health awareness, education and self-reliance in the Melghat region.

To arrest child mortality, during initial years Maitri organised 'Dhadak Mohim' especially in Monsoon season when reaching out to remote area becomes very difficult with the help of hundreds of volunteers over the period.

Eventually Maitri's work has expanded in the areas of education and agriculture apart from health.

Other than Melghat, Maitri is also known for its work in emergencies. There are many situation of natural disasters when Maitri volunteers were among the first to reach the disaster location. Maitri starts the primary relief work immediately and especially focuses on the rehabiliation work at very remote location where help is not reached through other sources.

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