About AAMHI

Aamhi collected 370 tonnes of waste and recycled 320 tonnes preventing it from entering the environment and polluting our lands and seas.

Collection

Segregation

Bailing

Dispatched to recyclers

In 2022, four women eco-warriors, appalled by/ concerned about the environmental degradation caused by plastic and other non-biodegradable waste in rural Maharashtra, founded AAMHI. The Aamhi project is a solid waste management initiative, which works with the locals to rid public areas of non-biodegradable waste in ten Raigad villages.

AAMHI employs local women to sift out this waste from garbage dumps, arterial roads, sea shores, playgrounds and mangroves. Plastic bags, PET and glass bottles, old clothes, footwear, fishing nets and marine waste are segregated based on established parameters. This initiative has resulted not only in a cleaner environment, but also in the villagers developing a sense of responsibility and pride in their surroundings.

Through the following activities, Aamhi is making this part of rural Maharashtra waste-free:

We collect solid waste to prevent it from being burnt, thrown into the sea, or sent to a landfill.
We create reuse, recycling and upcycling options for the waste collected, with specialized partners who work in these areas.
We employ local resources to help generate employment opportunities.
We operate on minimal overheads to make optimum use of donations.

Our process is sustainable, attracting a minimal carbon footprint.

We are CSR certified and donations will receive 80g exemption.

Board Member:

Naheed Taher Carrimjee is a founding partner of DDCM- a leading law firm in Mumbai. She is a solicitor with over 30 years experience in the legal sector. Naheed has also been a tireless advocate for recycling, the arts, urban gardening and social justice. She is a trustee of Sightsavers India and Under the Mango Tree Society. Naheed is an avid reader and passionate about ecosystem restoration.

Board Member:

Vandana Vishwanathan Co-Founder and Partner, Cocoon Consulting (www.cocoonconsulting.com)

Bangalore.

Vandana finds purpose in helping to build better businesses and stronger organisations. In the last 31 years, Vandana has worked with and advised Boards, leadership and HR teams across India and Asia in businesses, NGOs and social enterprises.
Vandana has helped start-ups, promoter-led companies and large MNCs manage transitions to grow and perform. She enjoys working with businesses and leaders to reconfigure their internal ecosystem to meet their ambitions. She has led assignments on organisation identity and design, culture, managing performance and team development to do this. Vandana enjoys working with leaders and leadership teams and has helped Business Leaders and Promoters identify key shifts they need to make to succeed in their ambitions for the business both as individuals and organisations. She has coached leaders through key transitions and helped Boards with succession planning. She has helped to assess and develop many leaders for senior leadership roles in India and Asia.
Vandana started her career in Hindustan Lever in 1995 and worked as an HR manager (over 6 years) at different manufacturing sites and the Unilever R&D Centre in India. She has a Master’s in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
Vandana has worked with and volunteers her time with NGOs and Foundations. She has also served on the Boards of Ujjivan Financial Services and Ujjivan Small Finance Bank as an Independent Director.

Founder:

Rosalind Pereira is a social worker and alumna of TISS, Mumbai, and the founder of Project Aamhi, Raigad’s only comprehensive rural waste management initiative, and Mayabazaar, an artisanal slow-fashion label. Through Project Aamhi, she has led the diversion of over 370 metric tonnes of plastic waste, protected 40 km of coastline, and created livelihoods for 40+ rural women and men, while driving animal welfare initiatives for stray care. Her work has been recognized with awards such as the Zilla Parishad Award, Rotary Award for Outstanding Community Service, and features in NDTV, Times of India, and The Free Press Journal. At the intersection of environmental action, women’s empowerment, and cultural sustainability, Rosalind’s work exemplifies grounded systems change with lasting impact.

Founder:

Hansu Pardiwala is instrumental in developing effective systems for waste collection and segregation. Alongside her expertise in fundraising, Hansu works tirelessly to forge collaborations that amplify our efforts. Her contributions are invaluable to the success of our organization.

Hansu Pardiwala is a Waste Management professional and the founder of Har Ghar Hara Ghar, a Social Enterprise. She has spent almost 8 years in the field of Waste Management and has recently moved into the space of Waste Management Training, through her enterprise, Har Ghar Hara Ghar which educates, inspires and enables people to take green actions in their daily lives. She spreads awareness on the different streams of waste and their safe collection, disposal and treatment.

She recently completed an IEC/BCC project for MIAL (Mumbai International Airport Limited) in 3 settlements adjoining the airport to spread awareness on the perils of open waste dumping leading to bird strikes in airplanes.