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Who we are
Jyoti Kalash is a Charitable Trust, Registered in Mumbai, India, was founded in January 2003. As an NGO we operate relief centers in several locations in Western India.
Why the name? “Jyoti” means light and “Kalash” is a clay pot that is a symbol of abundance and wholeness. The concept expressed by the name “Jyoti Kalash” is one of coming out of the shadows and into the light and experiencing wholeness.
Our motto is “Igniting Life and Changing Futures” and the projects in Jyoti Kalash have one goal, to assist in imparting fundamental life changes with compassion and integrity to marginalized women and children. We help them turn their lives around so that they get a firm footing on the path of life.
Our Vision
To Restore and Transform the Lives of the Marginalized Women, Youth and Children of India.
Our Mission
Jyoti Kalash empowers marginalized women, children, and youth to reclaim dignity and freedom. We stand with the vulnerable, offering education, counselling, and vocational training that create livelihoods and build resilience. Through community, enterprise, and holistic support, we nurture growth and open pathways to a life of hope and opportunity.
Unfolding Our Story
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
-Margaret Mead
Dear Friends,
Jyoti Kalash’s journey began in 2003, when we opened Day Care and Night Shelters in Mumbai’s red-light areas for children in desperate need of care and protection. Those early years were filled with Play and Art Therapy programs—safe spaces where children in distress could find healing through creativity.
For fourteen years, we ran a Residential Care Home for girls licensed under the Ministry of Women and Child Development. By 2017, all our girls had turned eighteen and moved into After Care facilities. Today, many are thriving—pursuing higher studies, working in good positions, and steadily building independent lives.
In January 2023, we expanded northward with The Tivah Journey in Dehradun, a Group Home and Skill Training Centre for women 18+ who had faced exploitation and abuse. Though Tivah closed in August 2024 due to unavoidable circumstances, its spirit of empowerment remained strong until the very end.
Similarly, our sewing project in Andhra Pradesh empowered Koya Tribal women with vocational skills, fostering financial independence and strengthening their role in the community. Though this project too closed, its impact continues to echo in the lives it touched.
Our mission has always been to stand with the marginalized. Today, we are deeply rooted in Mumbai’s red-light areas, building trust and encouraging women’s rehabilitation. We extend holistic care to girls in Child Care Institutions and Observation Homes, where educational and therapeutic programs nurture creativity, healing, and the life skills needed for independence. In Goa, our projects continue to empower low-income communities, especially women and children, through education, vocational training, and community-building.
Through all these seasons, Jyoti Kalash has grown stronger—refining systems, expanding outreach, and staying true to our vision of healing and transformation through education and therapy.
None of this would have been possible without the passion of our team and the generosity of those who have supported us. From the bottom of my heart, I thank each one who has walked with us. Together, we have carried light into places of deep need, and together, we will continue to spread hope and love.
With gratitude
