BOMBAY SARVODAYA FRIENDSHIP CENTRE
About Us
The Bombay Sarvodaya Friendship Centre (BSFC), founded in 1982, is a Mumbai-based organisation with over 40 years of work in justice, and grassroots empowerment and community building and resilience. The BSFC works with marginalized urban communities, especially the informal workers, who constitute 92.4% of India’s labor force, and are devoid of any welfare, or social and financial security.
Our mission is to build a supportive system for the urban poor, rooted in compassion, empathy, and self-sustenance. BSFC connects the state and central government with the needs of people, addressing the critical gaps in public infrastructure, welfare and health care. Our work has received recognition and support from well-known members of the community. We do not believe or promote charity, and hence our activities and initiatives are committed towards creating a fair and inclusive society.
Workers Welfare
Dedicated to strengthening social protection for informal sector workers by enabling access to statutory welfare schemes and labour rights. Through advocacy, capacity building, and stakeholder engagement, the project works towards improving policy implementation, expanding social security coverage, and ensuring that workers' voices are represented in decision-making processes.
Health Care
The initiative seeks to improve access to affordable and quality healthcare for underserved communities, particularly informal sector workers and their families. Through community-based health services, preventive healthcare programmes, health education, and referrals, the project addresses critical gaps in healthcare access faced by economically vulnerable populations. It also works to strengthen collaboration among healthcare providers, public institutions, and community stakeholders to promote equitable health outcomes and contribute to more responsive and inclusive healthcare systems.
Watershed Managementt
The initiative works with tribal communities in rural Gujarat to strengthen water security, enhance natural resource management, and support sustainable livelihoods. Through watershed development, soil and water conservation measures, groundwater recharge, and community-led planning, the project seeks to improve the resilience of local ecosystems and rural economies. By promoting the sustainable use of natural resources and strengthening local institutions, the initiative contributes to improved agricultural productivity, climate resilience, and long-term community well-being.
Our Activities
Informal Settlement
The initiative works to advance the housing rights and living conditions of urban poor communities by supporting access to secure housing, rehabilitation, and essential civic amenities. Through community mobilisation, advocacy, policy engagement, and technical support, the project seeks to ensure that development processes are inclusive, equitable, and responsive to the needs of vulnerable residents. It also facilitates engagement among communities, public authorities, planners, and other stakeholders to promote dignified living conditions, tenure security, and sustainable urban development.
Sabka Clinic is the flagship programme of the organisation and reflects our commitment to ensuring that quality healthcare is accessible to all, regardless of income or social status. Established to address the severe healthcare inequities faced by informal sector workers and underserved urban communities, the initiative provides affordable, community-based primary healthcare in areas where access to quality medical services remains limited.
For a nominal fee of ₹20, patients receive a comprehensive consultation with a licensed physician along with a three-day supply of essential medicines.
Watershed Management
Watershed program was taken up with the intention to promote sustainable change from the ground up and support various processes at the village level that strengthen village self-sufficiency.
Water and land are the backbone of rural economies across the world. The quality of water , land resources directly impact the quality of life of people. Food security can be improved significantly with better watershed maintenance as well and migration can be reduced
Workers Welfare
Our Workers’ Welfare Project is dedicated to improving the lives and livelihoods of informal sector workers by ensuring access to social security, healthcare, education, legal support, and livelihood opportunities. Through community outreach, awareness programs, and direct assistance, we work to uphold the dignity, rights, and well-being of workers and their families, enabling them to build safer, healthier, and more secure futures.
Informal Settlement
Informal settlements are increasing alongside the rapid growth of urban populations, often concentrated on the peripheries of cities. Rising challenges such as climate change, extreme heat, and lack of space have severely impacted the poor residing in these areas, while ongoing development in city cores threatens the removal of several settlements. BSFC’s activities focus on two critical aspects: supporting displaced communities and addressing the needs of those living without essential services, infrastructure, and amenities.
Basic amenities and infrastructure
BSFC extends support to the urban poor in informal settlements by facilitating community dialogue, legal counselling, and inclusive platforms that enable access to basic amenities and infrastructure. This ensures dignified living conditions and fosters improved livelihoods for daily wage workers and their families.
Rehabilitation and secure housing
Urban poor evicted from informal settlements often struggle to secure rehabilitation. To address this, efforts are directed toward fostering dialogue with stakeholders, ensuring that displaced families are provided with secure housing, essential amenities, and adequate infrastructure.
