27-04-2025
City NGO gets Rs 15 lakh grant
Nagpur: Underprivileged Advancement by Youth (UPAY), a Nagpur-based NGO, has secured the Silver Award at Social Venture Partners (SVP) India's Fast Pitch event last week, receiving a Rs 15 lakh grant to enhance their
educational programmes for disadvantaged children
. The organisation leads initiatives for providing education to underprivileged children in the city.
Established in 2010, UPAY has achieved notable success in educational development, community enhancement, and skills training. Speaking to TOI, founder Varun Shrivastava revealed that UPAY operates 10 centres in Nagpur, with primary facilities at Wardhaman Nagar and Cotton Market. "The organisation works closely with families, identifying children from underprivileged backgrounds — especially child beggars — and bringing them to the centres with parental consent. Children are picked up daily at 8.30am, provided with quality education, engaged in sports activities, served two nutritious meals, given clothing, and then dropped back to their homes by 3.30pm," he said.
Discussing the organisation further, Shrivastava explained their primary initiative, 'Footpathshala', launched in 2014 to support street children. "Beyond Nagpur, UPAY manages 10 more centres in Mouda and several others in nearby villages. In all, UPAY operates 44 centres across India and has touched over 2.5 lakh lives through its efforts in education, health, sanitation, disaster relief, and community development," said Shrivastava.
UPAY additionally focuses on creating economic independence in disadvantaged areas. The organisation identifies and develops local talents and abilities, aiming to establish small-scale industries for sustainable community employment.
Shrivastava, an IIT Kharagpur graduate, said, "Our vision is a future where every child will have a dignified childhood and equal opportunity to live, learn, and grow."
He collaborated with fellow alumni from various IITs and NIITs to develop one of India's largest volunteer-based NGOs, supported by over 400 active contributors and more than 7,000 volunteers, operating across Delhi NCR, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Meghalaya, and West Bengal.
