What does it mean to care for a being that can’t speak your language—but feels pain just like you do?
In this heartfelt episode, we sit down with Ms. Timmie Kumar, Managing Trustee of Help in Suffering (HIS)—a pioneering animal welfare organization in Jaipur that has been transforming lives for over 40 years. From rescuing street dogs to creating India’s first camel rescue centre, HIS has redefined what it means to serve the voiceless with empathy, structure, and purpose.
Discussion Highlights
🔹The early spark: What led Timmie ji to dedicate her life to animal welfare
🔹Founding the Bassi Camel Rescue Centre: unique challenges and unexpected allies
🔹How camel owners and communities have evolved over the past two decades
🔹Bridging the empathy gap: pet clinics that support street animals
🔹The transformative power of loving an animal: what it unlocks in us as humans
🔹Why kindness must move beyond sentiment into systems and sustained action
This episode is a reflection on dignity—for all lives—and the quiet, persistent power of compassion in motion.
If your organisation is dedicated to driving positive social change, we want to hear from you. Reach out to us at The Good Sight by emailing us at contact@thegoodsight.org with a brief description of your work and achievements, or give us a call at 9696399931.
This is the story of a man who didn’t wait for change — he became it.
The Man Who Stood Up For The Forgotten Birhors traces the extraordinary life of Jageshwar Yadav, a quiet revolutionary from Chhattisgarh who dedicated his life to the forgotten Birhor tribe.
Born in 1955, Yadav’s journey began with a simple question: why were tribal children left behind? What followed was decades of unwavering work — securing land rights, building schools, launching health campaigns, and igniting dignity among some of India’s most marginalised communities.
About Padma Pride
Padma Pride is an inspiring audio series by The Good Sight and Rise Against Hunger India, celebrating Padma Awardees and their extraordinary impact. Every Sunday, we bring you the story of a changemaker shaping India’s future. (Narration: Shalini Singh, The Good Sight).
💌 We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts at contact@padmapride.com.
In the bustling streets of India, where rapid urbanization collides with deep-rooted inequalities, entire communities remain invisible. Among them are ragpickers—families pushed to society’s margins, grappling with poverty, exclusion, and systemic neglect. For their children, access to education, healthcare, and dignity is often a distant dream.
In this episode, we delve deep into these often-overlooked realities and shine a light on the transformative work of PHIA Foundation, an organization committed to bridging these gaps. Our guest, Johnson Topno, brings decades of experience from the frontlines of social development and offers a grounded yet inspiring look at what it takes to create lasting change in the most vulnerable communities.
Discussion Highlights
🔹 Johnson’s Journey
What inspired him to join the social sector and what keeps him going.
🔹 “It’s Possible” Campaign
Tackling gender stereotypes through behavior and mindset change.
🔹 Working with Ragpicker Communities
Challenges around education, health, and hygiene—and how PHIA responds.
🔹 Addressing Caste-Based Barriers
How PHIA supports children from marginalized castes in accessing education.
🔹 What’s Next for PHIA
Future projects and why Johnson remains hopeful.
If your organisation is dedicated to driving positive social change, we want to hear from you. Reach out to us at The Good Sight by emailing us at contact@thegoodsight.org with a brief description of your work and achievements, or give us a call at 9696399931.
Born into a Dalit family in rural Bihar, Shanti Devi defied caste, poverty, and patriarchy to become a pioneer of the Godna style of Mithila painting. With no formal training or tools, she transformed traditional tattoo motifs into a bold visual language of resistance and resilience. This episode traces her journey from social exclusion to national recognition, including her 2024 Padma Shri award — not just as an artist, but as a changemaker empowering future generations through art.
About Padma Pride
Padma Pride is an inspiring audio series by The Good Sight and Rise Against Hunger India, celebrating Padma Awardees and their extraordinary impact. Every Sunday, we bring you the story of a changemaker shaping India’s future. (Narration: Shalini Singh, The Good Sight).
💌 We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts at contact@padmapride.com.
There are battles unfolding all around us — battles for dignity, safety, and the basic right to live freely. For millions of women and girls, these aren't abstract struggles — they are daily realities shaped by gender inequality, deep-rooted norms, and the silencing of voices.
In this episode, we sit down with Nayana Chowdhury, CEO of Breakthrough, an organization working relentlessly to make gender-based violence unacceptable. From empowering adolescents to transforming communities and shifting institutional mindsets, Breakthrough is building pathways to a more equitable world — one conversation, one intervention at a time.
Discussion Highlights
🔹How transformative conversations with adolescents are reshaping gender roles
🔹The evolving mindset of today’s youth toward social justice and equality
🔹Breakthrough’s approach to navigating cultural resistance in traditional communities
🔹The importance of engaging boys and men in gender equality — and how Breakthrough gets it right
🔹Shifting attitudes within education systems — from students to teachers and leaders
🔹What lies ahead for Breakthrough under Nayana’s leadership — and the hopes driving her mission
Join us as we explore how meaningful change takes root — in classrooms, homes, villages, and hearts.
If your organisation is dedicated to driving positive social change, we want to hear from you. Reach out to us at The Good Sight by emailing us at contact@thegoodsight.org with a brief description of your work and achievements, or give us a call at 9696399931.
Sano Vamuzo never raised slogans. She didn’t lead rallies. But through quiet conviction and tireless service, she transformed lives across Nagaland.
In this episode, we explore the life of the 83-year-old tribal social worker who pioneered education for girls, spearheaded the Naga Mothers Association during times of conflict, and fought for women’s political representation when few dared to speak up.
From her early days as a teacher to becoming the first Chairperson of the Nagaland State Women Commission, Sano Vamuzo’s legacy is one of peace, dignity, and purpose.
A story of leadership without noise—just impact.
About Padma Pride
Padma Pride is an inspiring audio series by The Good Sight and Rise Against Hunger India, celebrating Padma Awardees and their extraordinary impact. Every Sunday, we bring you the story of a changemaker shaping India’s future. (Narration: Shalini Singh, The Good Sight).
💌 We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts at contact@padmapride.com.
What if your morning coffee came with a side of courage? What if every sandwich you ordered carried a story of resilience? In this heartwarming episode, we take you inside Mitti Café — a social enterprise redefining inclusion, dignity, and purpose, one plate at a time.
Mitti Café creates meaningful livelihood opportunities for adults with physical and intellectual disabilities, showing the world that ability always outweighs disability. At the heart of this powerful movement is Alina Alam, the founder and CEO, who joins us to share the vision, values, and victories behind Mitti Café’s extraordinary journey.
Discussion Highlights
🔹Inclusive Employment as Empowerment
🔹Challenging Biases Around Disability🔹Designing Accessible and Welcoming Spaces🔹Scaling Inclusion Across Institutions🔹Stories of Resilience and Belonging🔹A Founder’s Journey of Growth and PurposeFrom serving meals to changing mindsets, this conversation is a reminder that inclusion isn’t charity — it’s a celebration of potential.If your organisation is dedicated to driving positive social change, we want to hear from you.
Reach out to us at The Good Sight by emailing us at contact@thegoodsight.org with a brief description of your work and achievements, or give us a call at 9696399931.
Born into the Jenu Kuruba tribe of Karnataka's Mysuru district, Shri Somanna’s journey is one of resilience, leadership, and quiet revolution. Orphaned at the age of two and forced into bonded labour as a child, Somanna broke free in 1978 following the abolition of bonded labour in Karnataka and never looked back.
From joining the Dalit movement to founding the Budakattu Krishikara Sangha (BKS), he dedicated his life to organising, empowering, and advocating for tribal communities across H.D. Kote, Saragur, and beyond.
In this episode of Padma Pride, we journey through Somanna’s remarkable efforts—whether it was resisting luxury development in national parks, fighting for forest rights under PESA and FRA, or facilitating land and rehabilitation for thousands of displaced tribal families. His activism has impacted over 4,000 families, securing community forest rights, housing, roads, ration access, pensions, and more.
About Padma Pride
Padma Pride is an inspiring audio series by The Good Sight and Rise Against Hunger India, celebrating Padma Awardees and their extraordinary impact. Every Sunday, webring you the story of a changemaker shaping India’s future. (Narration: Shalini Singh, The Good Sight).
💌 We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts at contact@padmapride.com.
You know, when we talk about healthcare or education in rural India, we often hear words like access, infrastructure, or policy gaps. But behind all those buzzwords are real people—families, frontline workers, local entrepreneurs—doing the hard work of making things better, every single day.
Sometimes, change doesn’t come from just building more hospitals or schools. It comes from reimagining how services reach people—whether it’s a mother in a remote village choosing when to have her next child, or a young person stepping up to offer basic health support in their own community.
And that’s exactly what today’s episode is about.
We’re in conversation with Prachi Shukla, India Country Director of World Health Partners (WHP)—an organization working across India to tackle big challenges in creative, grounded ways. From family planning to rural education, and from supporting local health entrepreneurs to building tech-based solutions, WHP has done a bit of everything.
Discussion Highlights
🔹How telemedicine is transforming healthcare access in rural India
🔹Lessons from launching “TB Mukt Panchayat” at the grassroots
🔹What 36,000 sterilisation procedures taught WHP about scale and empathy
🔹Strategies to deliver respectful, safe reproductive health services to women
🔹Building people-powered healthcare systems through local entrepreneurship and trust
If your organisation is dedicated to driving positive social change, we want to hear from you.
Reach out to us at The Good Sight by emailing us at contact@thegoodsight.org with a brief description of your work and achievements, or give us a call at 9696399931.
Sometimes, the earth is graced by souls who not only sow crops in the fields but also plant hope in people's hearts.
In this moving episode, we bring you the inspiring story of Padma Shri Sanjay Anant Patil, lovingly known as Sanjay Kaka — a farmer, innovator, and quiet revolutionary who transformed dry, uncultivable land into a thriving oasis without machines, electricity, or chemicals.
From crafting 125-ft-long hand-dug tunnels to harvesting rainwater and creating life-saving "jeevamrut" from cow dung and urine, his journey is a lesson in resilience, simplicity, and devotion to the earth.
Honoured with the Krishi Ratna, the Innovative Farmer Award, and finally, India’s prestigious Padma Shri in 2024, Sanjay Kaka's life is a living testament to what can bloom when love meets the land.
Tune in to witness how one man’s green dreams became a movement that now inspires thousands of farmers every year.
About Padma Pride
Padma Pride is an inspiring audio series by The Good Sight and Rise Against Hunger India, celebrating Padma Awardees and their extraordinary impact. Every Sunday, webring you the story of a changemaker shaping India’s future. (Narration: Shalini Singh, The Good Sight).
💌 We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts at contact@padmapride.com.
In India, the digital divide isn’t just about internet access—it’s about missed opportunities, unequal learning environments, and entire communities left behind. But behind the scenes, some are working tirelessly to close that gap—not with noise, but with real, on-the-ground change.
In this episode, we sit down with Vikram Kumar, National Head – Partnerships & Communications at NIIT Foundation, to explore how technology, training, and trust are rewriting the narrative for underserved communities.
Discussion Highlights
🔹Digital buses that bring interactive classrooms directly to remote neighborhoods
🔹Career centers that not only train but successfully place youth in jobs
🔹Women taking their first steps into the digital world—emailing, budgeting, and even starting businesses
🔹The iconic Hole-in-the-Wall experiment and how curiosity became the best teacher
🔹How virtual education models have reached over 88,000 learners despite infrastructural hurdles
🔹A 7% drop in dropout rates—and the strategies that kept learners coming back
🔹Why cybersecurity literacy matters in digital empowerment, especially for women and youth
This is more than a conversation about education—it's about empowerment, equity, and building futures from the grassroots up.
If your organisation is dedicated to driving positive social change, we want to hear from you.
Reach out to us at The Good Sight by emailing us at contact@thegoodsight.org with a brief description of your work and achievements, or give us a call at 9696399931.
Sometimes, the greatest achievement isn’t a title—it’s a purpose. After a celebrated career as an anesthetist, Dr. Maya Tandon saw a deeper calling: saving lives beyond the operation theater. Witnessing the power of first responders abroad, she launched ‘Sahayata’ after retirement—a grassroots movement to train ordinary citizens in life-saving skills for road accidents. No salaries, no awards sought—only the mission: "Not one life lost for lack of timely help."
From setting up Rajasthan’s road safety policies to training thousands, Dr. Tandon’s story is a testament to how one woman’s vision can redefine public health. Honored with the Padma Shri, she continues to inspire at 87.
This is not just a story of a doctor—it’s the journey of a guardian of life itself.
About Padma Pride
Padma Pride is an inspiring audio series by The Good Sight and Rise Against Hunger India, celebrating Padma Awardees and their extraordinary impact. Every Sunday, webring you the story of a changemaker shaping India’s future. (Narration: Shalini Singh, The Good Sight).
💌 We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts at contact@padmapride.com.
What does it take to turn rural deprivation into opportunity — not with charity, but with dignity and ownership?
In this episode , we speak with Mangesh Wange, CEO of Swades Foundation, about how they're transforming rural India from the inside out — empowering communities with clean water, quality education, healthcare, and sustainable livelihoods.
Discussion Highlights
🔹The Swades Foundation’s unique ‘4E’ strategy: Engage, Empower, Execute, and Exit — and how it works in practice.
🔹How mass and excellence scholarships are expanding educational and career horizons for rural youth.
🔹One student’s inspiring journey from limited options to a professional dream career.
🔹Tackling the toughest challenges in rural development — and the lessons learned.
🔹Making education engaging and holistic in places where rote learning dominates.
🔹What fuels Mangesh’s motivation to keep going, even when the work gets hard.
Tune in for a grounded, honest conversation about rural transformation — where dignity, not dependence, leads the way.
If your organisation is dedicated to driving positive social change, we want to hear from you.
Reach out to us at The Good Sight by emailing us at contact@thegoodsight.org with a brief description of your work and achievements, or give us a call at 9696399931.
When Urmila Srivastava lost both her parents as a young girl, life could have easily silenced her. Instead, it handed her a melody — one shaped by love, loss, resilience, and an unshakable devotion to music. As she raised her younger brothers and continued her schooling against all odds, it was the soul of Eastern Uttar Pradesh — its Kajri and folk songs — that gave her strength and purpose.
Over the next five decades, Urmila Ji became a beloved voice on All India Radio and Doordarshan, a guiding force for thousands of music students, and a cultural ambassador who carried India's folk heritage from the heartlands of Mirzapur to global stages in Bhutan, Mauritius, and beyond.
Nicknamed the "Kajri Samragyi" — the Queen of Kajri — her songs tell the stories of rural India: of monsoons and memories, joy and longing, and the quiet dignity of everyday life.
In this episode, we trace the remarkable journey of a woman who didn’t just sing folk music — she lived it.
About Padma Pride
Padma Pride is an inspiring audio series by The Good Sight and Rise Against Hunger India, celebrating Padma Awardees and their extraordinary impact. Every Sunday, webring you the story of a changemaker shaping India’s future. (Narration: Shalini Singh, The Good Sight).
💌 We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts at contact@padmapride.com.
If you’ve ever walked through the narrow lanes of small towns or sat across from a young dreamer in an urban slum, you’ll know—talent is everywhere, but opportunity? Not so much.
Millions of young Indians stand at the edge of possibility, armed with ambition but held back by lack of access, skills, or support. And when it comes to adolescent girls in underserved geographies, the gap grows even wider.
That’s where Kiwaad—meaning ‘doorway’—steps in. Through industry-aligned training in retail, BFSI, and digital skills, Kiwaad isn’t just creating livelihoods—it’s transforming identities.
In this episode, we’re joined by Nidhi Rai, the passionate founder of Kiwaad, who’s on a mission to ensure that no young dreamer gets left behind.
Discussion Highlights
🔹The overlooked challenges facing adolescent girls in India’s youth landscape
🔹The meaning behind ‘Kiwaad’ and the kind of opportunities it aims to unlock
🔹Barriers in remote districts like mobility, early marriage, and digital access—and how Kiwaad tackles them
🔹Beyond numbers: spotting real change through confidence, agency, and decision-making
🔹Blending community models with tech: using digital tools even in low-connectivity areas
Reach out to us at The Good Sight by emailing us at contact@thegoodsight.org with a brief description of your work and achievements, or give us a call at 9696399931.
A doctor does more than prescribe medicine—he offers healing through touch, wisdom through words, and hope through actions. In this special episode, we journey into the extraordinary life of Padma Shri Dr. Radhe Shyam Pareek, a pioneer who not only elevated homeopathy to global recognition but also redefined the very meaning of service in medicine.
From a modest upbringing in Agra to treating over 2.3 million patients across the world, Dr. Pareek’s story is one of deep devotion, tireless service, and quiet revolution. He trained thousands of doctors, championed community healthcare in rural India, founded the Sevakunj Mission Hospital, and brought the light of Indian culture and spirituality to countless lives through Satsang Sudha.
About Padma Pride
Padma Pride is an inspiring audio series by The Good Sight and Rise Against Hunger India, celebrating Padma Awardees and their extraordinary impact. Every Sunday, webring you the story of a changemaker shaping India’s future. (Narration: Shalini Singh, The Good Sight).
💌 We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts at contact@padmapride.com.
What if real change didn’t come from the top, but instead sprouted from the ground up—from the heart of our villages, from people who chose to stay and build rather than leave and chase? In this episode of The Good Sight Podcast, we sit down with Simranpreet Oberoi, Co-founder and CEO of Sanjhi Sikhiya, to explore how grassroots leadership, community ownership, and youth power are transforming education in rural Punjab.
From reimagining the role of government schools to empowering young changemakers through the Punjab Youth Leaders Program, Sanjhi Sikhiya’s work is a powerful reminder that sustainable impact often starts with quiet determination and a belief in the potential of one’s own community.
Discussion Highlights
🔹The Origin Story
🔹The Punjab Youth Leaders Program
🔹Gram Sikhiya Sabha: Education Under the Tree
🔹Turning Brain Drain into Brain Gain
🔹Vision 2035: A Dream for Punjab’s SchoolsIf your organisation is dedicated to driving positive social change, we want to hear from you.
Reach out to us at The Good Sight by emailing us at contact@thegoodsight.org with a brief description of your work and achievements, or give us a call at 9696399931.
Art is not just a play of colors—it's a conversation across time, a revival of tradition, and sometimes, a quiet revolution. In this episode, we bring you the story of a man who didn’t just create art, but resurrected a dying tradition and gave it new meaning.
Padma Shri Ashok Kumar Biswas, a visionary artist from the heartland of Bihar, breathed life back into the ancient Tikuli art—a craft rooted in the Mauryan era, once fading into obscurity. With a brush in his hand and purpose in his heart, he turned delicate glass into storytelling canvases.
But his impact didn’t stop at the canvas. He trained over 8,000 women, empowering them to become financially independent through this once-forgotten art. From local workshops to international exhibitions, his work became a symbol of India’s cultural resilience.
About Padma Pride
Padma Pride is an inspiring audio series by The Good Sight and Rise Against Hunger India, celebrating Padma Awardees and their extraordinary impact. Every Sunday, webring you the story of a changemaker shaping India’s future. (Narration: Shalini Singh, The Good Sight).
💌 We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts at contact@padmapride.com.
In the heart of India’s rapidly expanding cities, millions continue to struggle with access to housing, education, healthcare, and employment. But what if we shifted the lens—what if urban slums were seen not as pockets of poverty, but as communities brimming with potential?
In this powerful episode, we sit down with RajendraJoshi, the Managing Trustee of Saath, a pioneering non-profit based in Ahmedabad. For over 30 years, Saath has been transforming marginalized urban neighborhoods into vibrant, self-sustaining communities by working withpeople, not just for them.
Discover how Saath’s innovative, participatory modelhas touched the lives of over 1.5 million people across Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra—empowering youth, women, and families to rewrite their stories.
Discussion Highlights 🔹Kishori & STEM: Tackling the barriers to girls' education in conservative and underserved communities.
🔹Balghars (Early Childhood Centers): A heartwarming story of how early intervention changed a child's educationaljourney.
🔹Affordable Education: How Saath balances quality with accessibility in a profit-driven educational landscape.
🔹Grassroots Healthcare: The untold challenges of improving maternal and child health in urban slums—and the real heroes behind the work.
🔹Evolving Vision: Insights into how Saath has adapted its holistic development model to keep pace with India’schanging urban poverty dynamics.
If your organisation is dedicated to driving positive social change, we want to hear from you.
Reach out to us at The Good Sight by emailing us at contact@thegoodsight.org with a brief description of your work and achievements, or give us a call at 9696399931.
What drives a person to dedicate their entire life to those abandoned by society? For Sangthankima, the answer lay in a simple yet profound belief—no one deserves to be forgotten.
From the hills of Mizoram, where poverty and struggle were everyday realities, he emerged as a guiding light. With barely a fifth-grade education and no resources, he started small—sharing his meager earnings to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless. What began as an act of kindness soon grew into the Thutak Nunpuitu Team (TNT), Northeast India’s largest rehabilitation network, offering refuge to orphans, the mentally ill, and those battling addiction.
In this episode, we explore the incredible journey of a man who turned compassion into action, giving thousands a second chance at life. From sleeping on the streets to receiving the Padma Shri, Sangthankima’s story is one of resilience, faith, and the unbreakable spirit of service.
About Padma Pride
Padma Pride is an inspiring audio series by The Good Sight and Rise Against Hunger India, celebrating Padma Awardees and their extraordinary impact. Every Sunday, webring you the story of a changemaker shaping India’s future. (Narration: Shalini Singh, The Good Sight).
💌 We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts at contact@padmapride.com.
