OUR WORK
For nearly seven decades, the Institute of Social Service has worked alongside individuals, families and communities to respond to the social needs of our times.
Our work spans education, healthcare, skill development, women's empowerment, child and family welfare and community development — with every initiative rooted in the belief that meaningful change begins with people.
We don't simply provide services.
We create opportunities for people to build stronger, more independent and hopeful futures.
“Culture is the arts elevated to a set of beliefs.”
— Thomas Wolfe
EDUCATION & SKILL DEVELOPMENT
Education has always been central to the Institute of Social Service's vision. From professional education and community learning to vocational and practical skills, we believe that knowledge can open doors to greater independence and participation. Our initiatives create opportunities for children, young people, women and adults to learn new skills, develop confidence and prepare for a better future.
Our focus:
Education: Creating pathways to knowledge, learning and personal growth.
Vocational Skills:Developing practical skills that can support livelihoods and independence.
Community Learning: Taking education beyond classrooms and into the communities where it can make a difference.
Youth Development: Encouraging young people to discover their potential and participate meaningfully in society.
Our belief:
Education should not simply prepare people for life. It should empower them to shape it.
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
When women have the opportunity to learn, earn and make decisions, the impact reaches far beyond the individual. Our work with women focuses on building confidence, developing skills, strengthening livelihoods and providing support when social and family challenges arise. Through community-based initiatives, we work alongside women to help them access opportunities, develop greater independence and participate more actively in their families and communities.
Our focus:
Skills & Training:
Creating opportunities for women to develop practical and vocational skills.
Livelihoods:
Supporting pathways towards economic independence and self-reliance.
Support & Guidance:
Helping women navigate personal, family and social challenges.
Confidence & Participation:
Creating spaces where women can learn, contribute, make decisions and grow.
Our belief:
Empowerment begins when people have the confidence and opportunity to shape their own future.
HEALTH & WELLBEING
A healthy community is a stronger community.
Our health initiatives focus on making essential healthcare, awareness and preventive support more accessible to people within their own communities.
From medical services and health camps to awareness programmes, nutrition education and preventive care, our approach looks at wellbeing from both individual and community perspectives.
Our focus:
Community Healthcare:
Connecting people with accessible medical support.
Health Camps:
Taking healthcare and screening closer to communities.
Preventive Health:
Promoting awareness and practices that can help prevent illness.
Women's & Children's Health:
Supporting the health and wellbeing of women and children.
Nutrition & Awareness:
Building knowledge around healthy living, nutrition and wellbeing.
Our belief:
Healthcare becomes more meaningful when it reaches people where they live, learn and work.
CHILD & FAMILY WELFARE
Every child deserves the opportunity to grow in a safe, healthy and supportive environment.
But supporting children also means strengthening the families and communities around them.
Our work responds to the needs of children and families through education, health initiatives, community support and family-focused interventions. We seek to create environments where children can learn, develop and look towards the future with confidence.
Our focus:
Child Development:
Supporting children's learning, wellbeing and development.
Family Support:
Helping families navigate challenges and access appropriate support.
Health & Nutrition:
Promoting healthier childhoods through awareness and community-based initiatives.
Education:
Creating opportunities for children to learn, participate and grow.
Our belief:
When we strengthen the family, we strengthen the foundation on which a child builds their future.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
We believe communities are not simply recipients of support — they are partners in creating change.
Our community development work begins by listening to people, understanding their realities and identifying opportunities for collective action.
Whether the need is healthcare, education, livelihoods, family support or women's empowerment, our approach is designed around the community itself. We work with people, not simply for people.
Our approach:
Listen:
Understand the needs, challenges and strengths of the community.
Connect:
Bring together people, knowledge and resources.
Enable
Create opportunities for people to develop skills and confidence.
Empower:
Support communities in becoming stronger and more self-reliant.
Our belief
The most lasting change is change that communities can own.
RURAL & ADIVASI DEVELOPMENT
Our commitment to social service extends beyond Mumbai.
Through our work at Jeevandhara in Kolad, we engage with rural and Adivasi communities through initiatives focused on education, health, nutrition, women, children and community development.
Working in rural communities means understanding local realities, respecting existing knowledge and creating solutions together. Our programmes seek to bring greater awareness, opportunity and access to communities while encouraging participation and self-reliance.
Our focus:
Education & Awareness:
Creating opportunities for learning and knowledge-sharing.
Health & Nutrition:
Promoting healthier families through health and nutrition initiatives.
Women & Children:
Supporting the wellbeing, development and participation of women and children.
Community Engagement:
Working alongside communities to identify needs and build practical solutions.
Our belief:
Every community has strengths. Our role is to help create the conditions in which those strengths can flourish.