5 women NGO leaders in India doing remarkable work for society

Non Government Organizations or NGOs are known to work at the grassroot level and benefit the downtrodden citizens of the society. Helping the poor and needy to gain access to education, healthcare, a job and a better life are some of the key areas most of these NGOs work towards. Women are said to be more empathetic towards those who are leading a life of penury, and most of them work towards a cause that is close to their hearts. Many such NGOs are run by women, who often times leave successful corporate careers to make a difference in the lives of fellow human beings and work towards a noble cause. Listing some women, who have made a difference in the lives of many people.

Shraddha Soparkar – Founder and Principal trustee, Madhuram Charitable Trust

Becoming a mother of two, of whom one is a special child, made her more aware towards the needs of parents who had special children. During the physiotherapy sessions for her child she realized how expensive these therapies can be and how poor parents will need financial assistance to get right care for their children. She founded Madhuram Charitable Trust in 2018 with an aim to raise awareness and provide physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, applied behavioural analysis, corrective surgeries for major muscle groups and joints, botox surgeries, along with aids for hearing. During lockdown she decided to utilize the funds to provide German Ottobock prosthetic legs through her project Stepathon. Through her endeavor, she has helped at least 800 children and individuals till now as part of Stepathon.

BijalBrahmbhatt – Director of the Ahmedabad-based, Mahila Housing SEWA Trust

A civil engineer by education, BijalBrahmbhatt is recognised for her expertise in habitat improvement, community development and housing finance. She looks after the work of Mahila Housing SEWA trust pan India. She understood early on that it is important to empower women to give better standard of living in poor neighbourhoods. She has worked tirelessly to build homes with basic services like clean water, toilets, electricity and adequate light and ventilation. This can only be done when women understand the need for a strong neighbourhood.

Neelam Chhiber-Co-founder and Managing Trustee of the Industree Foundation

She has worked in the past two decades with rural artisans. She realised that there is a global demand for their art, hence trained them with skills and provided them tools to make art that can sell in international markets. She has been awarded the Charles Schwab Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award. She is also one of the founding members of Catalyst 2030, which is a collaborative movement to attain Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, keeping in mind the environment and benefits for human beings.

Rouble Nagi -Founder Rouble Nagi Art Foundation

Rouble Nagi is a renowned mural artist, whose art has been appreciated by one and all. For the past two decades she interspersed her art with a non profit NGO where she works with artists from underprivileged sections of Mumbai. With an aim to keep the slums of India clean and hygienic she undertakes many projects to paint them. She believes that art exudes positivity and will lead to betterment of these societies. Through RNAF, she also educates these underprivileged children and teaches them to become responsible citizens of the country. They work towards education, women empowerment, sanitation, hygiene and waste management.

Meenakshi Gupta -Co-founder of Goonj

Understanding that clothing is the basic need for any human being, Meenakshi Gupta along with her husband, set out in 1998 to transform the lives of poor children with 67 personal clothes. She took these clothes from urban rich families and mended them and distributed amongst the needy. Today Goonj is active in 23 states, and employs women who are trained to turn over sized clothes into perfect sizes, jeans into school bags and extra clothing into cloth-sanitary pads. Head quartered in Sarita Vihar, Delhi, they also make warm beddings for babies, to be distributed for new-borns during the intense cold waves. They deal with 3000 tons of clothes and turn them into useful pieces.