Well, we have read lists about powerful people or rich people or famous people, how about listing people who are spreading happiness around them by being purpose driven and leading meaningful lives. This list is partly inspired by #HappyPeopleUK2018 list published by The Independent and partly by reading about ‘pothole dada’ who is based out of Mumbai.
Many people are doing much good around them but we are neither cognizant of them, nor throwing light on their work, and thus miss opportunities to get inspired by them.
The idea is to list all the people who are doing good work and are based out of #Pune. Each person who makes it to the list is supposed to tag at least one other person so that the list can grow and not be limited by my own biases/ prejudices. Please give a one line citation while tagging/ recommending someone. The idea is to nominate people who are spreading happiness around them in one way or the other.
The list below is generated based on nominations by my Facebook friends and other readers. The list is arranged in alphabetical order.
Ajay K. Dalmia: co-initiators at DLRC DriveChange Learning & Resource Centre
Akhileshwar Sahay: champions mental health issues and was part of committee that drafted the Mental health care bill.
Amit Godse: Founder Bee Basket; the Bee Man who removes and relocates the beehives without killing the bees.
Amit Paranjape: passionate about using social media to highlight issues specific to Pune.
Amrit Bakhshy: president of SAA; for his work towards mental health telling everyone about his daughters mental illness fearlessly and he also played a role in MHCA2017
Anil Gaikwad: He works making the city green on hills at baner and pashan hills. He is the founder of Vasundhara Swachhata Abhiyan.
Anil Sivakumaran Thampi: volunteers his time for good causes, like currently in Kerala to provide psycho-social counseling.
Anjali Dalmia: Facilitating @ DLRC DriveChange Learning & Resource Centre and running a startup on Menstrual Hygeine called Project Amara
Ankit Patel: another mental health champion , who despite being a psychiatrist opened up about his own depression not withstanding potential bad impact on his practice.
Anushri Thakar: runs her own NGO,Trimiti Trust, working for the reintegration of people with severe mental disorders.
Arvind Gupta: the Toys from Trash Man of Pune!
Asha Pillai Balsara is currently the executive director of WCCL Foundation, where her major area of work and interest has been integrating and highlighting the Indian Mind Traditions in the foundation’s courses, and bringing those traditions back to the daily life of people in simple and practical ways.
Atul Veer: experimented with Open Well-being
Avinash Dharmadhikari: have worked tirelessly for over two decades and contributed an entire generation of civil servants from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and regions of Maharashtra to the country’s “steel frame” to ensure clean and efficient governance.
Bhargavi Davar is a mental health activist. She is the founder and a managing trustee of the Bapu Trust and the author of several books including Gendering Mental Health.
Bhooshan Shukla: championing among other things Child abuse prevention.
Bindumadhav Khire: fighting for the rights of LGBTQ community.
Chris Bastianpillai : doing a great job teaching STEM to kids in Pune through Robominds. And at the same time inculcating the right values.
Deepak Shrote: he works closely with Padmashree Subhash Palekar to empower farmers and lead the poison free food movement in Pune.
Foram Mehta, runs Bola. Bola is an initiative started by her to break the silence among adults survivors of child sexual abuse by creating a support group for them.
Kaustubh Joag for his brilliant community based mental health work in the form of Atmiyata project.
Manisha Gupte set up Masum one of the finest women’s organizations in India out of Pune!
Manoj Joshi volunteers for Teach for India
Mihir Mehta for an amazing organic product he’s developed in association with NCL to remove all the pesticides wax and micro organisms surviving on veggies and fruits
Mona Dalmia: co-initiators at DLRC DriveChange Learning & Resource Centre
Mridula Das: at Prayatna, Pune They are doing wonderful work in enhancing the life of individuals with disabilities at their centre. They do it with dedication and joy, for 2 decades now
Nafisa: at Prayatna, Pune They are doing wonderful work in enhancing the life of individuals with disabilities at their centre. They do it with dedication and joy, for 2 decades now
Navin Kabra: He is doing a lot for the Student and the community especially the startup ecosystem and is public-spirited individual.
Niranjan Upasani from.Jeevit Nadi for his passion and dedication in cleaning the water ways of Pune and creating a sustainable environment in Pune!
P. A. Inamdar : of the Maharashtra Cosmopolitan Education Society for his relentless drive to improve the lives of the underprivileged minority community through education.
Pavan Iyengar : initiator for DLRC. An experiment (successful one) to bring education out of classrooms.
Poorna Dharmadhikari: have worked tirelessly for over two decades and contributed an entire generation of civil servants from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and regions of Maharashtra to the country’s “steel frame” to ensure clean and efficient governance.
Prakalpa Bastianpillai : doing a great job teaching STEM to kids in Pune through Robominds. And at the same time inculcating the right values.
Radiya: at Prayatna, Pune They are doing wonderful work in enhancing the life of individuals with disabilities at their centre. They do it with dedication and joy, for 2 decades now.
Rajesh Damodar Kochi/Raju: The Bhurji-pav bhaji stall owner who has saved many lives near Dengle bridge by rescuing those attempting suicide.
Ram Gudgila: runs network for youth. Helps people relive, reemerge, and relearn by working in the field of Public Health, Counseling, Life Coaching, Life Skills Mentor and Community Behavioral Change for more than a decade.
Ramesh Awasthi: set up Masum one of the finest women’s organizations in India out of Pune!
Rohan Soman: versatile personality using art to spread cheer around him.
Sandeep Gautam: for championing positive education in Pune.
Saxs: swachh warrior. A techie at night and a red dot campaigner, swachh Pune warrior, tree act custodian during daytime, inspiration to so many, and top it all a guy who is always cheerful, happy and laughing all the time.
Seeba Bhojani the moving force behind the effort for psychosocial support in Kalamassery area is a Chanakya Mandal and Nalanda shiksha student,
Soumitra Pathare: The driving force behind Mental Health care act and championing mental health access to all.
Sudha S. Nair: A special educator working for differently abled children from past two decades and have helped transformed their lives.
Tushar Sarode: he makes environmental documentaries for many social organizations.
Vasudha Gokhale: working endlessly for children and parents with special needs and is actively working as a counselor too bringing in beautiful changes in people’s life.
Mr Vinod Jain who ran around all day trying to save trees from being cut down and a bunch of other people in Kalpavriksh.
PS: feel free to make your own recommendations by way of comments.