BODHANA
Mission Statement:
Bodhana offers young women the opportunity to make choices for their own health and dignity by improving access to women’s health education and affordable sanitary protection. We believe that a health course is an essential component in every young woman’s education. When girls are knowledgeable about their bodies, they can take action to lead healthy, happy and successful lives.
Description of the Organization:
Bodhana was founded in late 2017 by three trustees,MrNelson Deb as President, MrShantanu Paul as Treasurer and MrSandip Nath as Secretary. Although they were all working in different sectors in life but they have one common passion which brings them together. The passion is to work for the welfare of the society. Bodhana primarily focuses on women’s health and sanitation. Currently it isworking on adolescent girls and women’s menstrual health needs. Its main objective is to increase access to sanitary protection by whatever means necessary, reduce the cost of sanitary protection to a reasonable price point, making it affordable and develop economic opportunities by producing sanitary pads locally and building local jobs. We are also working on sustainability by ensuring that our product is optimally sustainable along every piece of the supply chain.
Bodhana’s main aim and objectives are:
- To provide menstrual health, hygiene and sanitation programmes
- Provide educational programmes on MHM
- Create environment development programmes
- Work on social and economic development
- Research training and advocacy.
Why & How we can work together as collaborators–As you come from a family with very strong communal ethics who have dedicated their lives for the welfare for the people, we too have similar interests. But we are small and are still in the process of learning. It would be our absolute fortune to collaborate with your organization which comes with years of experience and research. It will be a learning experience for us and a sharing hub of information from two different parts of the world. As we are both working on two very important subjects of a women’s life and come with our own expertise, we can not only share knowledge but help each other grow educationally. We can help each other in the field of research and reach out to people from two different geographic locations and create awareness.
Address: H/N-34, Flat A/G, Jayaniwas,Pragatinagar, Lalganesh,Guwahati, Assam, India
Email: bodhanango@gmail.com
Contact No: +91-9706782314 / 9435072019 / 9435146034
Region: India
Nelson Deb
President
Mr. Nelson Deb is the Co-Founder and President of NGO called “Bodhana”. He is a 31 year old social entrepreneur born in Assam, India. He graduated in English (Hons.) and has a Dip. in Fashion Design and Boutique Management from IIFT, both under Bangalore University, India. He has over 5 years of work experience as a Web Design Consultant for a leading web design Australian firm. In 2012 he founded a social enterprise called The Eco Hub based in Bokakhat, Assam, India and since then has been working in the field of menstrual hygiene and sanitation specially for underprivileged women in various rural and urban corners of Assam , India. Nelson’s work in the field of social entrepreneurship received numerous recognitions and allocates.
His work was featured in Awaaz Entrepreneur a show in CNBC Awaaz, news channel:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj1YubB-HQE [from 9.15 onwards]
The Eco Hub was featured in two articles for the successful “Hygiene Bucket Challenge” fundraiser.
- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/This-bucket-challenge-promotes-womens-health/articleshow/42969318.cms
- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/Hygiene-bucket-challenge-finds-takers-across-country-abroad/articleshow/44833036.cms)
The Eco Hub were part of the first annual Menstrual Hygiene Day and partnered with WASH United on the first ever MH Day report. Their highlights can be found on page 12.
Magazine and case study feature for Nelson Deb and his work in Assam:
Shantanu Paul
Treasurer
Mr Shantanu Paul , aged 36 years , is the Co-Founder and currently serving as a Treasurer of “Bodhana” . He is a Post Graduate in Commerce from Assam University, India and also holds an MBA degree from Sikkim Manipal University , India. He has a total work experience of 12 years in the field of banking services and financial services. Currently he is serving as a Director cum Principal Officer at Solidus Forex Limited , a foreign exchange company based at Guwahati , Assam, India . Further,Mr Paul is also co-partner of M/s Kundalini International , Guwahati , Assam, India and KI-Care Bangladesh , Sylhet, Bangladesh. He has deep interest to serve for the welfare of the society and has been associated with various NGO’s in the past.
Sandip Nath
Secretary
Mr Sandip Nath, aged 37 years, is also the co-founder and has been serving as a Secretary in “Bodhana”. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Science and has a total experience of 12 years in the field of foreign exchange services and banking industry. At present , Mr Sandip is serving as a Director, Business Development at Solidus Forex Limited , a foreign exchange company based at Guwahati , Assam, India . He is also co-partner of M/s Kundalini International , Guwahati , Assam, India and KI-Care Bangladesh , Sylhet, Bangladesh. He is engaged in different social activities with various other NGOs.