A Forgotten Village, a New Dawn
Lavhali, a small tribal hamlet tucked deep in the hills of Ambernath taluka, had long remained outside the map of healthcare. For villagers here, reaching a doctor meant an exhausting day-long journey on foot and bus. By the time they arrived, treatment was either too late, too costly, or out of reach altogether.
It was in this backdrop that Lakshya Foundation, along with our partners, decided to bring healthcare to the very doorstep of the people. On 26th April 2010, Lavhali witnessed something it had never seen before—an entire team of doctors, nurses, volunteers, and community leaders setting up a full-scale medical camp right in the village square.
The Day of the Camp
The morning began with a quiet buzz. Word had already spread across neighboring hamlets. From the very first hour, tribal families—men, women, children, and elders—arrived in groups. Some came barefoot, others carried infants in their arms, and a few were led by younger relatives because they could no longer see well.
The Foundation had arranged transportation for the distant hamlets, ensuring that no villager would be denied care because of distance. By mid-morning, the venue had transformed into a lively yet disciplined health center. Registration desks, makeshift clinics, eye-testing stations, and a space for distribution of medicines—all were neatly organized by our volunteers.
Inside the camp, villagers experienced the novelty of specialized care for the very first time:
- Paediatricians gently examined children who had never before seen a doctor.
- Gynaecologists heard the silent struggles of tribal women who had endured pain for years without treatment.
- General physicians provided check-ups and guidance on preventive health.
- Ophthalmologists conducted thorough eye screenings with portable equipment.
By the end of the day, around 300 villagers from Lavhali, Sambari, Boradpada, Varyachi Vadi, and Kurhadpada had been examined. For the region, this was more than numbers—it was a first brush with dignity in healthcare.
Unveiling Hidden Challenges
The doctors were pleasantly surprised. Contrary to the stereotype of malnourished tribal communities, most villagers were found to be in reasonably good health. But the real revelation lay in the eyes.
27 individuals were diagnosed with cataracts—a condition that would have led to permanent blindness if left untreated. The camp ensured that every single one of them was enrolled for free cataract surgeries at Bacchu Ali Eye & ENT Hospital, Parel. For people who had resigned themselves to a life of darkness, this was nothing short of a miracle.
We later took all the 27 individuals to Bacchu Ali Eye and ENT Hospital for their cataract surgeries. All surgeries were successful, restoring sight and dignity to people who had begun to accept blindness as their fate.
Partnerships That Made the Impossible, Possible
This transformative camp came alive through the collective support of:
- Lakshya Foundation, Badlapur
- Janhvi Charitable Trust, Mumbai
- Dirty Wall Project, Canada
- Deutsche Bank Group
- KB Haji Bacchu Ali Eye & ENT Hospital, Parel, Mumbai
Each partner brought more than resources—they brought faith in the idea that every life, no matter how remote, deserves quality care.
Recognition in Media & Leadership
The camp’s impact did not go unnoticed. Prominent regional newspapers including Sanmitra, Gaonkarī, Sakal, and Adarsh Badlapur carried detailed stories, celebrating the effort as a historic first for Lavhali.
Political leadership too extended recognition. MLA Kisan Kathore, Vice President of the Konkan Irrigation Development Corporation, visited the camp and observed the efforts firsthand. Addressing the gathering, he remarked:
“Institutions like Lakshya Foundation, committed to selfless service, are striving to build society. Their contribution strengthens the very foundation of nation-building.”
For our volunteers, these words were not just praise—they were fuel to continue.
We got recognised and covered in news for this :
- दैनिक सन्मित्र (दि २७ एप्रिल २०१० रोजीच्या) अंक मध्ये प्रकाशित
- लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशनसारख्या सेवाभावी संस्था लोकसेवेचे व्रत घेऊन समाज उभा करण्यासाठी धडपड करीत आहेत. – आमदार किसन कथोरे
- अंबरनाथ, दि. २६ – लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशनसारख्या सेवाभावी संस्थाच लोकसेवेचे व्रत घेऊन समाज उभा करण्यासाठी धडपड करीत आहेत. राष्ट्र उभारणीत त्यांचा हातभार लागतो असे प्रतिपादन कोकण पाटबंधारे विकास महामंडळाचे उपाध्यक्ष आमदार किसनराव कथोरे यांनी अंबरनाथ तालुक्यातील लव्हाळी या गावी नेत्र मोतीबिंदू तपासणी शिबिराच्या वेळी केले.
- अंबरनाथ तालुक्यातील लव्हाळी या गांवात नेत्र तपासणी करून नेत्ररोग, मोतीबिंदू या आजारांवर उपचार व शस्त्रक्रिया करण्यासाठी शिबिराचे आयोजन करण्यात आले होते. हे शिबीर शनिवार दि. २४ एप्रिल रोजी दिवसभर राबविण्यात आले. लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशन, बदलापूर, जान्हवी चॅरिटेबल ट्रस्ट, मुंबई, डर्टी वॉल प्रोजेक्ट, कॅनडा आणि डॉश बँक ग्रुप यांच्या संयुक्त प्रयत्नाने व के.बी. हाजी बच्चूअली आय अँड इएनटी हॉस्पिटल, परेल, मुंबई यांच्या सहकार्याने हे शिबीर आयोजित करण्यात आले होते. या प्रसंगी प्रमुख पाहुणे म्हणून आमदार किसन कथोरे बोलत होते. या शिबिराचा ३०० स्त्री- पुरुष शिबिरार्थिंनी लाभ घेतला. लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशनचे अध्यक्ष शिरीष पाटील यांच्या मार्गदर्शनाखाली लक्ष्य व जान्हवी संस्थेच्या कार्यकर्त्यांच्या प्रयत्नांमुळे शिबिराला मोठा प्रतिसाद मिळाला. शिबिरार्थींना शिबीर स्थळी ने-आण करण्यासाठी संस्थेने वाहनांची सोय उपलब्ध करून दिली होती.
- या मोफत नेत्र तपासणी व मोतीबिंदू शस्त्रक्रिया शिबिरात २७ रुग्णांना शस्त्रक्रियेसाठी मुंबईतील के. बी. हाजी बच्चूअली या रुग्णालयात दाखल करून घेण्यात आले. या शिबिरासाठी नेत्ररोगतज्ञ डॉ. राजीव ब्राह्मणे, डॉ. चोळकर, डॉ. सचिन महाजन (सेंट्रल हॉस्पिटल, उल्हासनगर) डॉ. हेमंत चव्हाण, डॉ. श्रीमती ज्योती चव्हाण, डॉ. श्रीमती मिसाळ, डर्टी वॉल प्रोजेक्ट कॅनडाचे केन रायन, जान्हवी ट्रस्टचे श्री. डेव्हीड, अशले परेरा यांचे मोलाचे सहकार्य मिळाले.
- आमदार किसनराव कथोरे यांच्या हस्ते त्यांचा सत्कार करण्यात आला. शिबीर यशस्वी करण्यासाठी अश्ले परेरा, चंद्रकांत कडव, विशाल भालेकर, अनिल जाधव, मुकेश वालोद्रा, महेंद्र रोडे, सौ. ललिता पाटील, कु. प्राची बाटवलकर, भावना ठाकरे, आदी कार्यकर्त्यांनी अथक परिश्रम घेतले अशी माहिती आबासाहेब चासकर यांनी दिली.
- लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशनसारख्या सेवाभावी संस्था लोकसेवेचे व्रत घेऊन समाज उभा करण्यासाठी धडपड करीत आहेत. – आमदार किसन कथोरे
- दैनिक गांवकरी (शुक्रवार, दि. ३० एप्रिल २०१० रोजीच्या) अंक मध्ये प्रकाशित
- लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशन ही समाज उभारणीसाठी धडपडणारी संस्था-आ. कथोरे
- डहाणू/प्रतिनिधी : लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशन ही लोकसेवेचे व्रत घेऊन समाज उभा करण्यासाठी धडपडणारी सेवाभावी संस्था असल्याचे प्रतिपादन कोकण पाटबंधारे विकास महामंडळाचे उपाध्यक्ष तथा आमदार किसन कथोरे यांनी केले अंबरनाथ तालुक्यातील लव्हाळी या गावी भरविण्यात आलेल्या नेत्र तपासणी व मोतीबिंदू शस्त्रक्रिया शिबिराचा उद्घाटन प्रसंगी ते बोलत होते.
- अंबरनाथ तालुक्यातील बहुतांशी आदिवासी असलेल्या लव्हाळी या गावात नेत्ररोग तपासणी व शास्त्रक्रिया शिबिराचे आयोजन करण्यात आले होते नुकत्याच पार पडलेल्या या शिबिराचे आयोजन प्रामुख्याने लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशन, बदलापूर यांनी केले होते. तर त्यांना याकामी जान्हवी चॅरीटेबल ट्रस्ट, मुंबई, उर्टीवाँल प्रोजेक्ट कॅनडा, डॉश बँक ग्रुप आणि के.बी.हाजी बच्चूअल्ली आय अँड इएनठी हॉस्पीटल परेल, मुंबई यांनी विशेष सहकार्य केले या कार्यक्रमाला प्रमुख पाहुणे म्हणून स्थानिक आमदार किसन कथोरे उपस्थित होते.
- या शिबिराचा जवळपास ३०० आदिवासी बंधू-भगिनीनी लाभ घेतला. लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशनचे अध्यक्ष शिरीष पाटील यांनी यावेळी उपस्थितांना मार्गदर्शन केले. शिबिराच्या ठिकाणी आदिवासी बांधवांना ने-आण करण्यासाठी संस्थेमार्फत वाहनांची सोय करण्यात आली होती.
- या शिबिरातील २७ रुग्णांना पुढील नेत्र शास्त्रक्रियेसाठी मुंबई येथिल के.बी.हजी बच्चुअल्ली आय अँड इएनटी हॉस्पीटलला पाठविण्यात आले. या शिबिरात नेत्ररोग तज्ञ डॉ.राजीव ब्राम्हणे, डॉ. सचिन महाजन, डॉ.हेमंत चव्हाण, डॉ.श्रीम.ज्योती चव्हाण, डॉ.चोळकर आणि डॉ.श्रीम.मिसाळ यांनी सहभाग घेतला आमदार किसन कथोरे यांच्या हस्ते सर्वांचा सत्कार करण्यात आला.
- सदरचे शिबिर यशस्वी करण्यासाठी अशले परेरा, चंद्रकांत कडव, विशाल मालेकर, अनिल जाधव, मुकेश वालोद्रा, महेंद्र रोडे, भावना ठाकरे, ललिता पाटील आणि कु.प्राची वाटवलकर आदीनी अथक परिश्रम घेतले.
- लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशन ही समाज उभारणीसाठी धडपडणारी संस्था-आ. कथोरे
- दैनिक सकाळ (दि. ३ मे २०१० रोजीच्या) अंक मध्ये प्रकाशित :
- ‘लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशनसारख्या संस्था समाजउभारणीसाठी धडपडतात.’
- अंबरनाथ : लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशन सारख्या सेवाभावी संस्थाच लोकसेवेचे व्रत घेऊन समाज उभा करण्यासाठी धडपड करीत आहेत. राष्ट्रउभारणीत त्यांचा हातभार लागतो, असे प्रतिपादन कोकण पाटबंधारे विकास महामंडळाचे उपाध्यक्ष आमदार किसन कथोरे यांनी अंबरनाथ तालुक्यातील ‘लव्हाळी’ येथे झालेल्या मोतिबिंदू चिकित्सा शिबिरात केले.
- लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशन, जान्हवी चॅरिटेबल ट्रस्ट, डर्टी वॉल प्रोजेक्ट कॅनडा आणि डॉश बँक ग्रुप यांच्या संयुक्त विद्यमाने आणि केबी हाजी बच्चू अली आय अँड ईएनटी हॉस्पिटल यांच्या सहकार्याने हे शिबिर झाले.
- शिबिराचा ३०० स्त्री-पुरुष आदिवासी बांधवांनी लाभ घेतला. लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशनचे अध्यक्ष शिरीष पाटील यांच्या मार्गदर्शनाखाली लक्ष्य व जान्हवी संस्थेच्या कार्यकर्त्यांनी आदिवासी पाड्यांवर जाऊन आदिवासी बांधवांची मने वळवली. त्यामुळे शिबिराला मोठा प्रतिसाद मिळाला. या शिबिरासाठी नेत्ररोगतज्ज डॉ. राजीव ब्राह्मणे, डॉ. चोळकर, डॉ. सचिन महाजन, डॉ. हेमंत चव्हाण, डॉ. ज्योती चव्हाण, डॉ. मिसाळ, डर्टी वॉल प्रोजेक्ट कॅनडाचे- केन रायन, जान्हवी ट्रस्टचे- डेव्हिड, अश्ले परेरा यांचे सहकार्य मिळाले. शिबिर यशस्वीतेसाठी अश्ले परेरा, चंद्रकांत कडव, विशाल भालेकर, अनिल जाधव, मुकेश वालोद्रा, महेंद्र रोडे, ललिता पाटील, प्राची बाटवलकर, भावना ठाकरे या कार्यकर्त्यांनी विशेष परिश्रम घेतले.
- ‘लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशनसारख्या संस्था समाजउभारणीसाठी धडपडतात.’
- दैनिक आदर्श बदलापूर (दि. ६-१२ मे २०१० रोजीच्या) अंक मध्ये प्रकाशित,
- लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशन सारख्या सेवाभावी संस्था समाज उभा करण्यासाठी धडपड करीत आहेत – आमदार किसन कथोरे
- अंबरनाथ :- लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशनसारख्या सेवाभावी संस्थाच लोकसेवेचे व्रत घेऊन समाज उभा करण्यासाठी धडपड करीत आहेत. राष्ट्र उभारणीत त्यांचा हातभार लाभतो असे प्रतिपादन कोकण पाटबंधारे विकास महामंडळाचे उपाध्यक्ष आमदार किसनराव कथोरे यांनी अंबरनाथ तालुक्यातील ‘लव्हाळी’ या गावी नेत्र मोतिबिंदु चिकित्सा शिबिरात केले. अंबरनाथ तालुक्यातील आदिवासी भाग असलेल्या ‘लव्हाळी’ या गावात नेत्र तपासणी करुन नेत्ररोग, मोतीबिंदू या आजारांवर उपचार व शस्त्रक्रिया करण्यासाठी शिबिराचे आयोजन करण्यात आले होते. हे शिरि शनिवार दि. २४ एप्रिल रोजी दिवसभर राबविण्यात आले. लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशन लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशन बदलापूर, जान्हवी चॅरिटेबल ट्रस्ट मुंबई, डर्टीबॉल प्रोजेक्ट कॅनडा आणि डॉश बँक ग्रुप यांच्या संयुक्त प्रयत्नाने आणि के. बी. हाजी बच्चू अली आय अँड इएनटी हॉस्पीटल परेल, मुंबई यांच्या सहकार्याने हे शिबिर राबविण्यात आले.
- लक्ष्य फाऊंडेशन सारख्या सेवाभावी संस्था समाज उभा करण्यासाठी धडपड करीत आहेत – आमदार किसन कथोरे
Stories That Stay With Us
The highlight of the day was not the numbers, but the faces.
A grandmother who had not seen her grandson’s face in years was promised surgery that would restore her vision. She held our volunteer’s hands, her eyes misty, and whispered: “Will I really see again?”
A young mother, who had silently carried gynecological pain for years, finally broke her silence and said, “For the first time, someone listened.”
Children, at first shy and hesitant, giggled with curiosity as doctors checked them with stethoscopes. For them, the camp was as much an adventure as it was care.
These moments stitched together a day that no one in Lavhali would forget.
Why This Camp Mattered
The 2010 Medical & Eye Care Camp was not just about treating ailments. It was about bringing dignity, access, and respect to communities that had long lived without them.
It set the tone for Lakshya Foundation’s journey:
- To walk into neglected corners of society.
- To listen, not assume.
- To build bridges of healthcare, education, and opportunity where none exist.
For Lavhali, it was the day the world remembered them. For us, it was the day we realized that every forgotten village has the right to hope.
News Coverage
Blog
When Healthcare Reached Lavhali
26 April 2010 | Lavhali, Tal. Ambernath
In 2010, Lakshya Foundation was still a young organisation. Much of its early work had begun with something simple: walking into tribal hamlets, meeting families and understanding what made everyday life difficult.
Healthcare was one of the clearest concerns.
For many families in and around Lavhali, seeing a doctor meant travelling a long distance, often on foot and then by public transport. For an elderly person with poor eyesight, a woman living with an untreated health problem, or a family with young children, that journey itself could be enough to postpone treatment.
So, instead of asking villagers to make that journey, Lakshya Foundation decided to bring the doctors to them.
On 26 April 2010, a free medical and eye-care camp was organised at Lavhali with the support of Janhvi Charitable Trust, Dirty Wall Project, Deutsche Bank Group and K. B. Haji Bacchu Ali Eye & ENT Hospital, Parel.
It was one of Lakshya Foundation’s earliest major field initiatives.
A village becomes a health camp
From the morning, people began arriving from Lavhali and neighbouring tribal hamlets. The Foundation had arranged transportation for people who needed help reaching the camp, so that distance would not become another reason to stay away.
The camp brought together doctors from different fields.
Children were examined by paediatricians. Women could speak privately with gynaecologists about problems that had often gone untreated. General physicians conducted health check-ups and offered medical advice. Ophthalmologists examined villagers for vision problems and cataracts.
By the end of the camp, around 300 villagers had received medical and eye examinations.
For the Lakshya team, the day also brought an important lesson. The villagers did not fit the assumptions that people from outside the area might make about their health. Most were found to be in reasonably good health.
But the eye examinations revealed a problem that could not be ignored.
27 people who needed more than a check-up
The doctors identified 27 people with cataracts.
A medical camp could identify the problem, but that was only the first step. Lakshya Foundation and its partners followed up by arranging for these patients to receive cataract surgery at K. B. Haji Bacchu Ali Eye & ENT Hospital in Mumbai.
All 27 surgeries were successfully completed.
For people whose eyesight had gradually deteriorated, the intervention meant something very practical: they could see again.
And for Lakshya Foundation, it was an early lesson in what meaningful field work required. Finding a problem was not enough. Someone had to stay with the person until the problem was actually addressed.
A team behind the work
The camp was not the work of one person or one organisation.
Shirish Patil, Founder and Chief Trustee of Lakshya Foundation, guided the Foundation’s efforts. Around him, trustees and volunteers took care of the many details that make field work possible—from coordinating with the medical team to arranging transport and helping villagers through the camp.
People including Chandrakant Kadav, Vishal Bhalekar, Anil Jadhav, Mukesh Valodra, Mahendra Rode, Lalita Patil, Prachi Batwalkar and Bhavna Thakare were among those who worked to make the camp possible.
The medical team and partner organisations brought their own expertise and resources. Doctors including Dr. Rajiv Brahmane, Dr. Cholkar, Dr. Sachin Mahajan, Dr. Hemant Chavan, Dr. Jyoti Chavan and Dr. Misal contributed to the medical services, while partners including Janhvi Charitable Trust, Dirty Wall Project and the hospital in Parel helped make specialist care available to people who otherwise had limited access to it.
This combination—one organisation’s local presence, a committed team and partners willing to contribute what they could—would become an important part of Lakshya Foundation’s journey in the years that followed.
The beginning of a longer relationship with Lavhali
The medical camp was not a standalone visit to Lavhali.
The Foundation had already begun spending time in the surrounding tribal communities, learning about their lives and the difficulties they faced. Lavhali would eventually become one of the places most closely associated with Lakshya Foundation’s work.
Years later, the Foundation would return to the same community for very different reasons: education, student support, school infrastructure and eventually the complete transformation of Z.P. School Lavhali.
Looking back, the medical camp was one of the early moments in that relationship.
The work began with healthcare because that was one of the needs the community was facing. Over time, as the Foundation listened and returned, the questions became broader: Why were children leaving school? What happened after primary education? What made families struggle to keep their children studying? What could be done to improve the schools themselves?
The answers would shape much of Lakshya Foundation’s work over the next decade.
Recognition, but more importantly, responsibility
The camp received coverage in regional newspapers including Sanmitra, Gaonkarī, Sakal and Adarsh Badlapur. MLA Kisan Kathore also visited the camp and acknowledged the work being done by the Foundation and its partners.
But for the people who had organised the camp, the more important outcome was much closer to home: 300 people had received medical attention, and 27 people had received a pathway to restored eyesight.
For a young organisation finding its feet, it was an encouraging beginning.
Shirish Patil and the team would continue returning to these communities—not always with a medical camp, and not always with an immediate solution, but with the same willingness to listen and work alongside the people they had come to know.
That continuity would become one of the defining characteristics of Lakshya Foundation’s work.
One camp did not change a village. It began a relationship.