Mumbai, often hailed as the financial heartbeat of India, is also a city of striking contrasts. Beneath the towering skylines lie dense urban settlements where thousands of children and families lack access to basic healthcare, sanitation, and quality education. The WE Foundation recognizes this disparity and has taken concrete steps to address it through an innovative and inclusive model: Project Saksham.

This flagship initiative integrates community health programs, educational programs, and WASH interventions across five BMC schools in the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) region. At its core, Project Saksham is about more than just healthcare—it’s about laying the groundwork for lifelong well-being, resilience, and opportunity.

Health and Wellness as a Foundation for Learning

At The WE Foundation, we believe that health and wellness programs are central to child development. Through Project Saksham, we have provided comprehensive medical screenings and nutritional assessments to more than 1,200 students. These screenings have revealed critical health issues such as vitamin D deficiencies, stunting, low immunity, and oral health concerns—especially among adolescent girls.

To address these issues holistically, our team has conducted targeted awareness workshops for both students and parents. These sessions cover essential topics such as balanced diets, anemia prevention, macronutrient education, and early signs of non-communicable diseases. Over 2,000 students have benefitted from these sessions, building not only knowledge but also a proactive attitude towards personal health.

What makes this approach unique is its community-based model. Our outreach doesn’t end at the school gate. By involving parents and caregivers in adult education programs, we ensure that healthier habits are reinforced at home, creating a ripple effect throughout the community.

WASH: Cultivating Clean Habits and Safer Spaces

Access to water and sanitation is a human right, yet many students in under-resourced schools lack even the basics. The WE Foundation’s WASH component in Project Saksham is designed to fill this critical gap. Hygiene kits—containing soaps, sanitary napkins, toothbrushes, and toothpaste—were distributed to over 2,000 children, many of whom had never used some of these items before.

Through hands-on practical demonstrations, our educators taught students correct handwashing techniques, oral hygiene practices, and safe menstrual hygiene. These sessions also served as informal literacy programs, promoting clear and accessible knowledge about disease prevention. As a result, 85% of students now show consistent hygiene compliance—an achievement that speaks to the power of early, sustained intervention.

The hygiene training is closely linked with our Early Child Care & Education programs, which aim to introduce these vital lessons as early as possible. With younger students, playful methods and songs are used to reinforce clean habits, helping to establish them long before unhealthy behaviors take root.

Mental Health and Social Awareness: Emerging Priorities

While physical health remains a priority, we are also attentive to the emotional and psychological needs of children. Although Mumbai’s Project Saksham is not yet formally embedded with dedicated mental health services, its structure enables early conversations around stress, trauma, and emotional regulation. We see this as the foundation for future integration of formal mental health and substance abuse programs—especially in communities where such topics remain taboo.

These seeds are already taking root through our school-based discussions and extracurricular activities, which encourage peer support and emotional openness. In time, we envision schools functioning as full-service community wellness hubs, inclusive of domestic violence support, mental health screenings, and resilience training.

Education, Technology, and Empowerment—A Holistic Vision

The link between health and learning is undeniable. That’s why we pair our health interventions with strategic educational outreach—particularly in English proficiency and digital fluency. Project Saksham integrates structured English education, alongside blended learning programs that promote interaction, storytelling, and comprehension.

But the transformation doesn’t stop there. Through additional digital education programs, we are introducing students and teachers alike to multimedia tools, smart classrooms, and interactive learning. Our parallel efforts in digital literacy training ensure that both youth and adults are prepared to navigate a technology-driven world.

Long-term, The WE Foundation is working to expand this model by incorporating job training programs, skill development programs, and literacy programs that prepare students for success beyond the classroom. Whether it’s training parents in digital payments or connecting students with vocational opportunities, our goal is to build a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready community.

A Healthier, Smarter, More Empowered Mumbai

Through Project Saksham, The WE Foundation has reached over 10,000 children and families in Mumbai. But beyond numbers, the true impact lies in the lives changed—the girl who now attends school confidently during her menstrual cycle; the child who can read a nutrition label; the parent who has learned how to cook a healthier meal using local ingredients.

By integrating health and wellness programs, educational programs, and community health programs with digital learning and life skills training, we are not just improving conditions—we are transforming futures.

We invite stakeholders, institutions, and citizens to join us in scaling this impactful model across other urban and semi-urban regions. Together, we can ensure that every child in Mumbai, regardless of their socio-economic background, grows up with the health, skills, and support they need to thrive.