Jnana Prabodhini (JPP) JPP is an educational and service organization, started in Pune (Maharashtra, India) in 1962. Dr. V. V. alias Appa Pendse founded it with a vision. Its ideal was to impart man-making and nation-building education. Active in the fields of education, research, rural development and entrepreneurship development, JP has spread over rural and urban Maharashtra as well as North-east regions of India mainly through educational activities.
Jnana Prabodhini – Solapur (JPS) JPS is an active and innovative branch of JPP, with remarkable extensive and intensive work in literacy and child labor rehabilitation. In 1993, South Marathwada region of Maharashtra was badly devastated by a massive earthquake. Right from day one, JP activists rushed for relief. Dr. V. S. alias Anna Tamhankar, the Hon. Chairman of JPS was handed over Rs. 40 lakhs by the past students of JP. He selected a lonely village in the interior called Harali, as it was deprived of help for various reasons. Most of the NGOs and Government agencies left the place after relief work but JPS stayed there to meet the challenges after the deadly destruction. Dr. Tamhankar and his team inspired Harali people to rise up with new grit and inspiration to change the face of the area for better.
Jnana Prabodhini – Harali (JPH) JPH started a rural residential school in Harali in 1995, which now houses 250 students from 1st to 10th grades coming from about 100 surrounding villages and of course from village Harali.
It is a school with semi-English medium. Along with academic excellence, the thrust is on motivating rural talents
to meet the needs of rural India, to provide young leadership with character to villages.
There is also an Agricultural Polytechnic offering a diploma in 3 years, affiliated to the Marathwada Agricultural University, Parbhani.
JPH has popularized horticulture in this area. It has shown by its own example that even where rain falls are scanty, fruits like Guava, Amla, Tamarind, Mango, Lime, Cashew-nut and Ber can be grown and can give excellent yields.
JPH has creatively and amply harnessed the Solar Power here to meet the power needs. It has solar concentrators to cook food for 500 people, solar heaters for warm water (bathing), solar pumps to lift water, solar street lamps, solar computer back-up and solar dryer.
JPH is in contact with 50 surrounding villages and has initiated bio-gas technology, social awareness programs, self-help groups and medical services in some of them.
