The Jambudvipa Trust was founded in 1998 to:
- explore the social and spiritual implications of Dr. Ambedkar’s philosophy
- to work with a broad spectrum of disadvantaged communities through capacity building;
- to support initiatives in working with atrocities, women’s leadership, disaster management.
- teach basic mind development and culture through meditation and study classes.
- Organize seminars, retreats, workshops and lectures with leaders in the intellectual, spiritual and social fields.
The Gujarat Earthquake of 2001
Jambudvipa raised funds for this, carried out relief work and constructed a hostel for girls from families affected by the earthquake. This hostel, Karun Vihar Kanya Sadan, is now run by Jambudvipa with local support.
The Social Development Programme
From 2005 to 2007 Jambudvipa worked with a number of students trained in social welfare, who were starting their own activities in different parts of Maharashtra. Residential training programmes for HIV positive people but, keen to help and educate others how to face such decease and live with confidence in society.
The Mumbai floods of 2005
Jambudvipa raised funds for this, collected relief materials and distributed the relief in some of the affected slums in Mumbai.
The Tsunami of 2006
Jambudvipa collected funds for relief work, and raised funds for two hostels in Chennai for boys and girls from families affected by the calamity. Since then this has been run by local partners, Vishuddhaloka, who manage to raise their own funds to continue.
Manual scavengers
Jambudvipa started to work with some from this extremely disadvantaged community and got the International Labour Organisation to understand that the practice still existed on a wide scale.
Nomadic Tribes
The trust worked with this extremely neglected community, helping to train some young people from that community who eventually set up their own trust to develop eh work further.
The Pardhi community (called by the British, Thieving Tribes)
The trust set up kindergartens for children of this Community around Pune.
Scheduled Caste women’s leadership.
The Trust developed its own programme to develop this.
The Kerala Floods 2018.
Jambudvipa helped to raise funds for the devastating floods, especially for education, for relief work and to train local activists and NGOs how to respond to such calamities effectively, and access Government benefits.