AUGUST 2018 F INDIA TODAY PUNJABI 7C
HANGE FOR BETTER Ravi Pandher's urge to doing something
for the society was so strong that she couldn't care less
about being labelled eccentric. Pandher has devoted
herself to the cause of providing free education and food
to underprivileged students in the region through her
NGO Samarpan. A postgraduate in sociology, Pandher
started ten years ago when she spotted a bunch of chirpy
school dropouts near Ghaggar bridge, Panchkula. She
started teaching them and so began her journey. "Initially,
it was a challenge to convince these children to start
studying, so, I started cooking for them. That warmed
them up to me and eventually I began teaching them.
Gradually, the number of students increased and there
was a time when I was feeding and teaching 300
students,” says Pandher.SHARE AND CARE Currently she has 170 students under her
care, two teachers and one cook. “We offer students help
with Maths and English and also make sure that they do
some art and sports classes once a week," says Pandher,
who is from Muktsar. She wants to help these students
clear their Class X exams and make them self-reliant by
taking up vocational jobs.CONNECTING FOR A CAUSE Quite a few of Pandher's friends
help her out by providing groceries for the food. “I hope
to see more people come forward and help so that the
less fortunate ones are able to lead a better life,” she says.CONTACT [email protected]
ROLE MODEL MY MOTHER
I SEEK PEOPLE WITH A GENUINE INTEREST TO DO SOCIAL WORK
BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO SUSTAIN YOUR MISSION
SUCCESS MANTRA NEVER GET BOGGED DOWN BY
OTHERS AND LOSE YOUR TRUE SELF
RAVI PANDHER 42,
SOCIAL WORKER,
PanchkulaFUTURE PERFECT
RAVI PANDHER
SOCIAL WORKER,
PanchkulaFUTURE PERFECT