With the number of high rises buildings cropping up all over the city, one tends to forget the constructions works who toils hard to build these mammoth structures. Ironically almost all the construction workers are deprived of permanent settlement and end up living at the construction site, which keeps on changing from project to project. Besides the sordid life, the temporary accommodation also denies basic education and health facilities for their kids.

For the 33-year-old Gajanan Chavan, it was the hard life of the construction workers and tribal people that motivated him to take up social work about 10 years back. In 1997, Gajanan Chavan, who came all the way from Vidarbha District to Mumbai, started working for the betterment of the construction workers and tribal people under the NGO - ARPHEN

“I started philanthropic activities in the field of education at the age of 18 years because I had witnessed people suffering due to lack of education and the right knowledge,” avers Chavan. So far, around 1200 construction and quarry workers have procured ration cards and 600 children have benefited under the Mahatama Phule Educational Scheme with the assistance of this philanthropist.

Gajanan Chavan has been endeavouring to create awareness about education and health in the tribal hamlets like Fanaswadi and Hedorawadi. “I used to go to the tribal areas located behind MIDC in Navi Mumbai to educate people especially children, as most of the people are uneducated in that area and as a result they are unable to utilise the government schemes,” shares Chavan. Even the bad transport facilities has not deterred the steps of this social worker, who goes to far-flung areas on foot to educate people.   

Currently, Chavan is working to resolve the problem of accommodation and water supply that the quarry workers from Navi Mumbai are facing. Chavan comcludes, “I am trying to co-ordinate with the local authorities to get the accommodation and water supply facility for these people. I hope to improve the quality of life of these labourers.”