Infrastructure Assessment of Z.P. School and Anganwadi, Ridhori

When Your Roots Begin Recognising Your Work

On 23 January 2026, Lakshya Foundation reached Z.P. School Ridhori in Taluka Yawal, Maharashtra—a visit that felt different from many others we have undertaken over the years.

This was not a remote tribal village discovered during a survey.

This was not a school reached through CSR networking or formal outreach.

This was something far more personal.

Ridhori is the native village of Lakshya Foundation trustees Shirish Patil and Rajesh Patil.

For the entire Lakshya Foundation team, this visit carried the feeling of returning to one’s roots—not as individuals coming home, but as people whose work had quietly travelled ahead of them through word of mouth.

And that made the day deeply meaningful.

When Work Travels Before You Do

Lakshya Foundation was in the village primarily for personal work. But over the years, through videos, social media posts, village-level transformations, and people speaking to one another, the Foundation’s work had gradually reached Ridhori as well.

The stories of:

Lavhali’s transformation,
Belpada’s revival,
digital education efforts,
bicycles for tribal students,
school renovations,
and community-driven educational work

had travelled from village to village—not through advertisements, but through trust.

That trust reached the ears of:

Mr. Dhiraj Nehete, teacher at Z.P. School Ridhori
and Mrs. Sunanda, the Anganwadi teacher serving the village.

They had watched Lakshya Foundation’s work through videos and updates. More importantly, they had seen something many educators across rural Maharashtra are silently searching for:

an organisation willing to work seriously at the grassroots level, beyond token visits and symbolic programs.

And so, they invited Lakshya Foundation to visit the school and Anganwadi.

Not for ceremony.

Not for publicity.

But to help us understand the condition of the educational spaces serving their village children.

A Familiar Story in a Different Village

As the Lakshya Foundation team entered the premises of Z.P. School Ridhori, the signs were immediately recognizable.

Not because the school was beyond hope.

But because we have now seen this pattern repeatedly across rural and tribal belts:

A school standing with intent.

Teachers trying sincerely.

Children attending with innocence and potential.

But infrastructure slowly slipping into neglect.

The school and Anganwadi carried visible signs of wear and exhaustion.

The toilets are dilapidated and require renovation.
The classroom flooring is cracked at multiple places, making the spaces look tired and neglected.
The school and Anganwadi both appear faded and aged, lacking the warmth and energy that children deserve in a learning environment.
The electrical wiring and connections are random and unplanned, demanding proper systematic electrification for safety and functionality.
The ceilings bear marks of water seepage, clearly indicating the need for roof protection and weather sheds.

The problems were not hidden.

But what mattered was that the teachers had not become indifferent to them.

They still cared.

They still wanted improvement.

They still believed that their students deserved better.

And that belief is always where transformation begins.

Listening Before Promising

Lakshya Foundation spent time understanding the realities of the school and Anganwadi.

The discussions were grounded and practical.

We observed the structural issues carefully.

We listened to the teachers explain the day-to-day challenges.

We noted the infrastructural gaps that directly affect the children’s learning environment and overall dignity.

There was no false assurance given.

Because Lakshya Foundation today stands responsible before many schools already needing intervention across multiple villages. We understand both the urgency of these problems and the importance of working responsibly.

But there was one thing we could offer honestly:

acknowledgment.

Sometimes rural educators do not expect miracles immediately. They simply want someone to see what they have been silently managing for years.

On this day, Z.P. School Ridhori was seen.

Why This Visit Felt Emotional

Among all the school visits Lakshya Foundation has undertaken, this one carried a unique emotional weight.

Because this was not an unknown place.

This was home ground.

For Shirish Patil and Rajesh Patil, walking through the school premises carried the strange and humbling feeling of seeing their own roots recognise the journey they have built over the years.

The appreciation from the teachers felt genuine and deeply personal.

They were not responding to social media branding alone.

They were responding to years of visible field work and transformation carried out elsewhere.

And perhaps that is one of the most meaningful forms of recognition:

when your own soil begins trusting your work.

There was quiet pride in that realization.

Not pride rooted in achievement alone, but in responsibility.

Because when your roots begin expecting transformation from you, the mission becomes even deeper.

The Larger Reflection

The visit to Ridhori also revealed something larger about Lakshya Foundation’s journey.

Years ago, the Foundation had to explain why tribal education matters.

Today, schools themselves are reaching out.

Teachers are watching the transformations happening in villages like Lavhali and Belpada and asking:

“Can our school also become like this?”

That question itself is evidence of impact.

Because it means hope is spreading.

Not through slogans.

Not through campaigns.

But through visible examples.

A transformed school inspires another school.

A motivated teacher influences another teacher.

A village that regains belief in education influences neighbouring villages.

This ripple effect is exactly how long-term rural transformation grows.

Returning to the Roots With Responsibility

For Lakshya Foundation, this visit was not about announcing a new project immediately.

It was about reconnecting with roots while carrying the responsibility of larger work already underway.

Today, multiple schools across Maharashtra’s rural and tribal regions need urgent intervention. The scale of need is far bigger than any single organisation can address instantly.

And yet, Lakshya Foundation continues trying:

by approaching CSR donors,
by preparing proposals,
by mobilising supporters,
by documenting ground realities,
and by building trust village by village.

Ridhori has now become part of that growing circle of attention.

The Road Ahead

Lakshya Foundation assured the teachers and villagers of one thing clearly:

As resources, partnerships, and funding grow, we will return for better days.

The problems at Z.P. School Ridhori have been noted with seriousness. The school now forms part of the Foundation’s broader vision of ensuring that children in rural and tribal belts receive education in spaces that are safe, dignified, functional, and inspiring.

Because no child should feel that quality learning belongs only to cities.