Empowering Tribal Communities, Restoring Forest Rights
For over 30 years, KHOJ has stood with the indigenous people of Melghat, fighting for land rights, sustainable development, and dignified livelihoods in one of India's most biodiverse regions.
Three Decades of grassroots change
30+ Years
35+ Villages
1,000+ Families
500+ Children
From Students to Changemakers
KHOJ began in 1994 as a group of students from Mumbai who came to explore Melghat’s rich forest biodiversity. What we found was a paradox that changed our lives: a region blessed with natural abundance where children were dying from hunger and communities were pushed to the margins of survival.
We realized the crisis wasn’t about scarcity—it was about inequity. It was about communities being denied their rightful access to the forests they had protected for generations. It was about development policies that marginalized rather than empowered.
That realization became our mission. For over three decades, we’ve worked alongside the tribal people of Melghat to secure forest rights, restore land ownership, promote sustainable development, and ensure that every voice is heard in the decisions that shape their future.
How We Create Change
🌿Forest Rights & Land Restoration
We help tribal communities secure legal recognition of their forest rights under the Forest Rights Act, restoring land and ensuring sustainable management through CFR plans.
📜 Legal Literacy & Advocacy
We run workshops on PESA, the Right to Information Act, and the Employment Guarantee Act — empowering people to demand accountability and justice.
🎒Education & Youth Development
Our Bridge School gives a second chance to children who left school, helping them return to formal education and thrive.
🌾Sustainable Livelihoods
We support organic farming, sustainable forest product harvesting, and community-led projects that respect tradition and ecology.
Our Work is Being Noticed
- Featured in The Better India: “How This Village in Maharashtra is Leading Forest Conservation”
- Equator Initiative (UNDP): Recognised for innovative community-based conservation
- Documentaries: Multiple features showing our grassroots approach