Organisation overview

In 2010, with the desire to improve the state of child healthcare in rural Maharashtra, Dr. Anaita Hegde, began touring the districts of Maharashtra to understand the landscape. By organizing medical camps in each location, she tried to understand the reach and gaps of the healthcare system. Her study has since developed into a multi-faceted project aimed at working alongside local government bodies in rural areas to better support underprivileged children with integrated medical platforms. This deep seeded passion for advancing quality of life and uplifting the poor, shared by Dr. Anaita Hegde and her family, is what drives the KamalUdwadia Foundation.

After a year of extensive tours, she zeroed in on two districts in Maharashtra to focus her interventions on, namely Dhule and Nanded. At Nanded, she works with a local NGO for special children, and at Dhule she works with the local government officials who are part of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. Each district and camp have their own limitations and concerns. She, with a team of 20 medical professionals comprising doctors, therapists, technicians, dieticians, psychologists and young volunteers, have now been holding 3-day camps in these two districts for the last 10 years at 6-monthly intervals. They have been able to reach out to over 21,000 children with neurological concerns and assess around 500 children in each camp. Starting with diagnosis, investigations with EEGs, MRIs and other tests, a holistic multi-therapy & behaviour program is created for the child. Orthopedic and ophthalmological interventions are also provided. Last but not least free medication for 6 months duration is provided.

In the course of these specialised camps, she noticed that 80% of the children were severely malnourished. Thus was born the nutritional wing of the program, where all children and their siblings are provided a course of necessary nutritional supplements and educated on the importance of vaccination, birth control, good local food sources, etc along with their mothers and grandparents. The nutritional package consisting of multivitamins is provided to all those who attend the camps.

In spite of the fact that the camps were cancelled due to the COVID 19 pandemic this year, we were able to send the medication and a 2-month extensive nutritional package to most of the families who visit the camps regularly. This will take place at the camp timings for the year 2021.

During the last 10 years, along with our local partners, we have supported and helped furnish and initiate a special school for children with disability in Dhule, and a vocational training residential centre in Nanded. The long-term aim is to create awareness within the families of such children, understand and appreciate their child’s potential and empower the family to support and promote their health and development.

KamalUdwadia Foundation

Dr. Anaita, her brother Navroz & their parents, Nergis and Darius Udwadia, had always wanted to set up a non-profit organisation for children with neurological concerns, in memory of their younger sister & daughter, Kamal. Thus, the idea for KamalUdwadia Foundation was conceived. Dr. Anaita, her husband Dr. Hemanth and their three children, Varun, Rohaan and Anya actively participate in running the Foundation.

KamalUdwadia Foundation is registered as a not-for-profit company u/s 8 of The Companies Act 2013, in Mumbai. It is largely a grant making organisation with primary areas of focus being healthcare and education. Given the varied interests of the Udwadia-Hegde family, the Foundation would also be supporting projects in the areas of research, sport, healthcare, education and environment, in the coming future.