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Apnalaya works with people living in some of the poorest slum communities in Mumbai to help them achieve a better quality of life. Apnalaya believes in encouraging men and women to believe in themselves and in their abilities to change their lives for the better. Apnalaya began work in 1973 and currently works with slum communities in Shivaji Nagar, Govandi and Deonar. Apnalaya's prime focus is on children, though they also engage with the community at large on issues of health, nutrition, poverty and housing.

Some of their programmes wereas follows:

• Education Programme: The Education Programme covers nearly every stage of a childs life. Apnalaya runs two crches for children upto the age of five years. They run a Sponsorship Programme which providesstudents with access to mainstream, formal education or certified vocational training.
• Citizenship: The aim of the citizenship programme is to help residents of the Deonar dumping ground area overcome the barriers they face in accessing basic amenities and government schemes. The programme addresses issues of water, housing, sanitation, rations(Public Distribution System) and birth registration. It aims at building the capacity of local groups, community based organizations and association of ragpickers known as the Kachra Vachak Seva Sangh.
• Family Counselling Centre: Apnalayas work begins with empowering battered (emotionally and physically) women to stand up for their rights, offering counselling services and forming support groups. Apnalaya is also a government appointed service provider under the Domestic Violence Act.
• Health: Apnalaya has developed several programmes to support women and children at health risks due to the proximity of their residences to the dumping ground. They are in partnership with the Governments Integrated Child Development Scheme to monitor childrens health, run 20 anganwadis (crches) and run over 50 community groups to spread awareness about child care. They also provide home visits to expecting mothers, run antenatal and gynaecology clinics.

Apnalaya also works in the area of disability and providing employment to disabled youths and adults.