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AWARDS AND HONOURS

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 1/20/2020 1:45:12 PM

Phoolbasan Bai Yadav: Recipient of Padma Shri

Phoolbasan Bai Yadav is a social worker and the founder of the non-governmental organization, Maa Bamleshwari Janhit Kare Samiti, known for her efforts towards the development of economically and socially backward women of Chhattisgarh. She was honored in 2012, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri. She also acts as a mentor to Vision India Foundation. Phoolbasan Bai Yadav was born in a socially backward family with meager financial resources on 5 December 1969 at Sukuldaihan, a remote hamlet in the Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh. She got married in childhood when she was 10 and had education only up to the seventh standard. Phoolbasan Yadav's social career started when she began taking part in the activities of the self-help groups in the district. Soon after, she formed groups of her own such as Pragya Mahila Samooh, Kiraya Bhandar, Bazar Theka and established ration shops for the distribution of food among the people below poverty line (BPL). Later, she consolidated the activities under one umbrella by forming the non-governmental organization, Maa Bamleshwari Janhit Karya Samiti. The organization has since grown to cover 12000 women self help groups with a reported total strength of over 200,000 members. By collecting rupees 2 per person, the organization has accumulated a corpus of rupees 150 million, equivalent to US$ 3 million. The participating groups engage in activities such as health programs, education, sanitation and social reforms. They conduct regular polio vaccine clinics, have opened schools and anganwadis, organize food programs such as Bal Bhoj, set up livelihood earning programs such as sewing centers for women and campaign against child marriages. The organization, which has adopted 54 children, has a presence all over Chhattisgarh and has initiated social campaigns such as Sharab Bandh (Stop Liquor), a campaign through which they were reported to have succeeded in closing down 250 liquor shops in the state. The organization has been named the brand ambassadors for female foeticide by the Government of Rajasthan. Phoolbasan Yadav has met with many obstacles in her efforts, even from her husband, who is reported to have beaten her up and refused her entry inside home when Yadav was late from her work. However, she is known to have persisted and her organization is credited with efforts in finally getting women participation in the village councils.