Enabling empowerment
Parul Mehta, founder and trustee of Ishanya Foundation, Pune, ensures that the underprivileged stand on their feet, finds Radhika Sathe-Patwardhan
For as long as she can remember, Parul Mehta, 54, wanted to give back to society. She terms it a ‘value’ she grew up with. During her college days, as part of the student council, she had been part of an eye check-up camp which required getting those in need, operated. An old lady, after her cataract surgery, approached Mehta, showering gratitude as without help, her operation would not have happened due to lack of funds. This made Mehta realise the importance of selfless acts and their impact on people’s lives. She was determined to do more for the underprivileged. This led her to pursue Authentic Leadership Development programme from Harvard Business School in 2014 post a BA in Sitar, and upon returning, Mehta was looking at what direction to take next.
It was around this time she visited several NGOs in and around Pune to understand the sectors that were being catered to. Over time, she realised that donating is not the way forward, empowering is. “It’s easy to write a cheque, but we should work towards making the underprivileged independent. If you teach them a skill, you are educating them for a better life,” she says. Thus, was born Ishanya Foundation.
The organisation conducts several outreach programmes for women empowerment, livelihood, and health and education, in and around Pune, and in villages around Taloja in Raigad District.
This story is from the November 9, 2019 edition of Femina.
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This story is from the November 9, 2019 edition of Femina.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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