25 Year Old Vidya Bharati Alumni, Nandini Pawar, Working for Women Empowerment and Social Change

Nandini Pawar, an alumnus of Saraswati Shishu Mandir Kalyanganj, Khandwa, proves that age is never a barrier. She is only 25 years old and is passionately working in the field of Women Empowerment and Child Education to her best capacity. 

She completed her B.Com degree and then pursued a Master’s Degree in Social Work.  During her Master’s she has worked with several NGOs mostly in the field of Child Education. These experiences broadened her scope and opened her eyes to various social issues that women face. 

“I have worked with many NGOs over the years, but the one I have worked with longest is Navya Jan Kalyan Samiti in Barwaha”, mentioned Nandini. There is a leprosy centre and a residential school for orphan children or children whose parents are beggars, rag pickers, daily wage earners or in jail. Nandini works with this centre voluntarily, where she takes care of patients suffering from leprosy by proving them food and care. She also manages the child centre through various skill development activities for children apart from educational support. 

“There are many children here in the centre who were earlier into drugs. We rescue such children and bring them here to give them a better life. It is very challenging to manage such children”, Nandini mentioned. A lot of her time is devoted for counseling the children and their parents.  

In Indore, Nandini has also been working with an NGO called Samaan Society aimed at women empowerment through skill development. The three projects which run under the organization are: 

1. Women on Wheels: Driving training is provided to women above 45 years of age. They are also supported to get driving jobs. Many women who learned driving from this institute are now working as waste collection drivers of the government.  

2. Women Mechanic: Women are provided training to repair two wheelers. They are also trained to ride two wheelers so that they can offer their service on call. A car repairing garage has also been opened for these women, which is currently run by women entirely.  

3. Women Mental Health Support: Counseling is offered to women to become financially independent and manage home. Many women are victims of domestic violence who also receive mental support from here. 

Nandini is an inspiration for many women in the society. She shows the way to overcome all hurdles of life and create a promising future.

If you are Vidya Bharati alumni and associated with any kind of social work, kindly fill your details at https://www.vidyabharatialumni.org/social-service-survey