On the auspicious Independence Day of India, a few benevolent souls open the very first ashram in a rented room at Chembur, Mumbai — born from the hardships seen at Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital.
On 15 August 2019, in a modest rented room at Sundar Apartment, Chembur, the very first Hamro Chhahari ashram was born. The founding members — a handful of volunteers who had spent years watching patients sleep on hospital footpaths near Tata Memorial — pooled their savings, signed a lease, and put up a hand-painted signboard.
The idea was disarmingly simple: a free home for cancer patients and one attendant, run by the community, for the community. No paperwork beyond a hospital referral. No fees. No questions about caste, region or means.
Within the first month, every bed was occupied. Within the first year, the ashram had supported hundreds of families — many from remote villages in eastern Nepal, Sikkim and Darjeeling, who had never set foot in a metro city before.
Today, the Chembur ashram remains the heart of Hamro Chhahari. It is where the kitchen never stops, where new volunteers learn the ropes, and where every founding decision can be traced back to that small Independence Day gathering.
