Sarmistha and Aparajita
Sarmistha Pattanayak
Sarmistha is 24 years old and describes herself as belonging to India, being born in Durgapur, West Bengal and then travelling and completing her schooling in Paradip, Secunderabad, Chennai, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata.
A Hindu by birth, one of the lessons that she learnt early in life was that human beings are not defined by their religion but by their humanity and compassion.
She completed her Masters from Utkal University Orissa in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations and during this time started volunteering with an NGO. The experience made her realise that her passion lay in working with children and that she wanted to pursue a career in the development sector. She therefore moved to Bangalore to gain some experience and joined the Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy as an associate where she teaches children how to be active citizens.
Aparajita Bharti
Aparajita Bharti is from New Delhi and is a member of Soka Gakkai International (SGI), a lay Buddhist organisation whose members follow Nichiren Diashonin's Buddhism.
She is a business graduate from the Delhi University and her keen interest in development and politics led her into working as a Legislative Assistant to a Member of Parliament.
She is also a theatre enthusiast and enjoys scripting, directing and acting in plays.
At college, she was a keen participant in street plays - short plays aimed at creating awareness about the pressing needs of society.
She also started a student outreach group Aarambh, aimed at imparting English communication skills to underprivileged girls in communities near her college.
The Kutumb Foundation – New Delhi, India
The Kutumb Foundation was initiated four years ago by a group of young people who felt that there is an increasing need to develop a sense of community among urban displaced people belonging to lower income groups.
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Posted on 17/10/2011Collecting newspapers to raise funds for a maternal health project in Delhi.
