Changing Lives In Rural Bihar Sungandha Munshi

Leaving good opportunities, Sugandha Munshi took a life-changing decision of returning to Bihar, her birthplace. People are generally unwilling to return to their roots and work for its betterment but Sungandha was an exception. In November 2010 she joined the Department of Education as the State- Coordinator Gender Cell. With the help of education and assistance from Bihar government and UNICEF, she intensively advocated for policy making on gender sensitization, for four consecutive years. Se attended the 12-day program of WORLD YOUTH SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP held in the UK which strengthened her determination and sharpened her perspective. In order to contribute to the development of Bihar, she used all her knowledge to understand the real situation there.

In 2013, Sungandha Munshi started working with women farmers as a Gender Specialist in the International Rice Research Institute. She moved closer to the cause she really wanted to work for. Like every individual working for a good cause has to face certain oppositions Sugandha too went through it. When she began her journey for the benefit of women farmers, she faced the rigid and orthodox mentality of the people. But with her strong determination, she managed to overcome these obstacles. Sugandha proudly speaks of the changes she brought in Bihar:

“It is common for a woman to talk about another woman, but wanting the men to come forward for women’s’rights, is something which I want to initiate. I am not a social worker, I just love and feel contended to be an asset for the people”, she said.  Her strong belief in the youth of India has led her to start a small initiative – “Priyadarshini”. This venture acts as a neutral platform to work with youths of Bihar with the motto –  “ Lead yourself and influence others for making the world a humane place”.

Sugandha Munshi’s message for the youth of India is very loud and clear. She says, “The key of motivation is in your pocket and one should follow what they preach”.  She believes that it is important to seek solutions rather than focus on the problems. She says  “Let’s not wait for another Nirbhaya incident, but raise our voices wherever and whenever we can!” Salute to Sugandha!