President’s Profile
Dr Shirin Rahman is a Medical Doctor by vocation and a social activist by avocation. She established Chaitanya Sravanthi, a voluntary organization in the year 1987 with a vision to empower the downtrodden of the society, especially women. Her relentless services, as the President of the voluntary organization for the sustainable development of the women living in the slums of the Visakhapatnam city and the neighboring districts for the last 25 years have etched her a permanent place in the hearts of the people. Her personal visits and interactions with the destitute women have instilled confidence in them. She has become a source of inspiration to the slum-dwellers as she has brought a sea change not only in the lives of women but also in their families and communities as a whole. Her women empowerment activities improved not only the social standards of the women but also their attitudes towards life. The women who completely lost their hope and wanted to put an end to their lives resumed their lives afresh after coming under the influence of Chaitanya Sravanthi under the leadership of Dr.Shirin.
She was born in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh and graduated in Medicine. She was married to a medical doctor who also possessed the similar passion and vision for social work and community services. They worked for the Government of Algeria as doctors for some time. On their return to India started Chaitanya Sravanthi, a Non-profit organization with a motto to drive away illiteracy in an age-old community settlement at ‘Kota Veedhi’ in the old city of Visakhapatnam. The organization was able to steer well to drive away the darkness of illiteracy through its Adult Education programs expanded its horizon reaching 5000 individuals and families bringing a massive impact upon the society as a whole after Dr Shirin Rahman took over as President. She was successful in her role as an advocate of human issues and an able change agent in the lives of individuals and communities. As a medical doctor she has been rendering twofold service of healing the wounds of poverty inflicted on the families of the downtrodden by indiscriminate alcoholism and also restoring and reshaping the lives of individual women through the Self-Help activities of the organization.
Chaitanya Sravanthi, under the leadership of Dr Shirin has been standing straight as a voice for the voiceless and as a beacon light to drive away the darkness of illiteracy. Thus she has been playing a pivotal role in women empowerment, emancipation of individuals and families from the shackles of social maladies.
Dr Shirin was successful in her combat against the gambling of ‘Single Digit Lottery’ which used to ruin the economic and social status of many families in this region. She was successful in motivating and mobilizing women to fight as a single brigade against this gambling and thus made women as an enlightened stream as the organization’s name Chaitanya Sravanthi indicates.
Following the popular maxim “train to catch the fish not offering the fish” she focused on empowering women for self reliance. Economically poor, other backward classes, scheduled castes and tribes are the main groups of people she focused on empowering through ‘Skill Training for Sustainable development’. Total number of direct beneficiaries is 2250 and also provided bank linkages for the maximum benefit. Not only offering them a sustainable life but Dr Shirin was able to ignite a passion for sharing among them so as to pass on the same impact to their fellow individuals thus bringing greater improvement in the families and communities at large. ‘Training of Trainers’ is key element of her community leadership.
Dr Shirin made a study on Self Help Groups (SHG’s) and their tremendous impact as the engine of growth on the path of Women Empowerment. Targeting the 10 slums in the port city of Visakhapatnam, beginning with 50 SHG’s which has now, a huge number of 350 SHG’s with 5500 beneficiaries. Dr Shirin’s able leadership led these SHG’s to form a mutually aided cooperative society called ‘Gruhalakshmi Mutually Aided Cooperative Thrift and Savings Society’ that was able to be an umbrella for 6000 beneficiaries and 3000 successful entrepreneurs. These SHG’s are the means to achieve social, economic and political strengths and access the denied services of different Government programs and schemes. Gruhalakshmi MACT Society has insured its members and fruits of this kind benefited the members in difficult times.
Right access to education is not so fully fulfilled amongst the children living in the slums though Government has schemes to achieve. Dr Shirin felt the needs and in partnership could establish 169 learning centers with an enrolment of 7647 children. Libraries are the key concept with the users’ number of 13387 and 2850 women benefited from non-formal education alongside.
The principles of democracy are universal. But for the ordinary people it is the practice of democracy that defines the principles. Dr Shirin has been successful in shedding the right spirit of democracy through her SHG’s and MACT society contributing her role as an advocate of human rights and a change agent in emancipation & empowerment of women bringing a positive change in community at large as a social worker indeed.
