Founder and CEO of Eminent RightWalk Foundation, Public Policy Entrepreneur and champion of social justice, equality, and inclusion, Samina Bano is an Ashoka Fellow, Acumen Fellow and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Samina strongly believes in sustainable social change at institutional level through Public Policy intervention across the policy value chain and by applying Systems Thinking approach.
Recipient of APJ Abdul Kalam Award for Innovation in Governance (KIGA) and a TEDx speaker, she is also serving as a Mentor at IIM Bangalore’s Non-Profit Incubator NSRCEL SOCIAL. She has also been shortlisted among top 100 Women Transforming India by NITI Aayog and United Nations India.
She has emerged as prominent name in current brutal wave of Coronavirus especially in terms of helping oxygen needs of densely populated Uttar Pradesh.
In an exclusive interview, Samina Bano talks to Onlykashmir[dot]in senior Editor Mr. Rameez Makhdoomi, here are the excerpts of the conversation
Q: What about your early life especially leaving green pastures of USA and coming back to India?
SB: When I completed my education I went to USA for work. After earning and travelling, I was not satisfied and wanted to do something for larger good of humanity. Everyone is not contended with big money or job.
My father had roots in Uttar Pradesh, and my mother from Bihar . I used to live in Pune with parents . I came back from USA and decided to work for a state like Uttar Pradesh which has high population and not so good human indices.
Father was in Airforce and posted in Kashmir so I have had exposure of whole India and looked entire India as my home. Uttar Pradesh I thought requires my efforts more and came to Lucknow in 2012 without knowing much about this place.
Q: How about your education?
SB: I Initially took medicine field after higher secondary but then had change of mind and opted engineering as I loved math subjects more . From childhood, I had this inclination to go into fields which are made taboo for girls and termed so called boys fields. I did computer science engineering and worked in different prestigious companies of country. I did my MBA from IIM Bengluru and then went to USA to work as Management consultant and came back to work for education sector of Uttar Pradesh.
Q: How did the idea of RightWalk Foundation developed in your mind ?
SB: In late 2012 I came to Lucknow had idea to work in education sector. I had established organization and came to know about Right to Education Act. Equity and inclusion to achieve social justice are always close to my heart. I had learnt that despite six lac Seats for children under right to education at that time just 54 children were enrolled under Right to Education act in Uttar Pradesh. I took it as instrument of change and got Lacs of children enrolled in schools under right to education act.
Q: How many challenges you faced in getting deprived sections of children Admission under right to education act in a number of schools?
SB: The powerful schools and their lobbies made several threats to me. They filled several civil suits against me, used lot of threatening tactics, and even planted their own people in my office. But I braved all odds to fight for the cause of poor people right to decent education. Several FIR were lodged against me and wrong rumors created.
Q: How has been support of government so far in your journey ?
SB: Overall, the State Governments of Uttar Pradesh have been supportive to me. The Bureaucracy in Uttar Pradesh has been much support and also the media has lot supported . The people and community have supported much. To give equal opportunity to poor children should be logical appeal to every humane heart.
Q: How did the idea of setting tremendous Covid relief came to your mind ?
SB: Actually the more than 2.5 lac children we had got admitted in Schools , when Coronavirus struck there and other families got impacted. Initially last year we were bombarded with calls for food ration and stranded people. We rendered help in that context.
Q: You are rendering much support on oxygen needs in second wave of pandemic in India. A bit on it?
SB: We had initially idea of usefulness of the oxygen cylinders and concentrators. This year we received in second wave more on oxygen needs and getting patients beds. We got impulse to work on it and thought this time we have to do more than our original sector of education. Therefore, we pooled resources and got knowledge on world of oxygen concentrator. My technology background helped me in getting things quickly done.
We raised crowd funding on Milaap and IIT students also joined our efforts. The Give India also has given us finances for oxygen concentrators. We imported oxygen concentrator from abroad as they were not available in India and have so far distributed 500 oxygen concentrator, 200 oxygen cylinders and 1200 medical kits and huge number of food ration kits . We are now preparing for third wave as cases are easing. People on different positions have helped our cause. We did lot of efforts in the holy month of Ramadan.
Q: You have become a huge name in country, Is it stressing?
SB: I am still not a big name that I can be Icon for over one billion.
I have dedicated my life to service of humanity. I never compromise on my ethics and values systems. I have conquered my fear and I pray God to give me required strength and empower me to serve people in need.
Q: How far has district administrations helped in your Covid relief especially transportation of oxygen concentrator as UP is big place?
SB: The Bureaucracy and Administration have been highly cooperative . RightWalk Foundation has become much prominent here and able to connect to local grassroots via our work of 8 years. District officials and whole Bureaucracy renders all support in terms of transportation of oxygen concentrator and other support as well.
Q: What is your message especially to Indian Muslim women?
SB: The message to Indian Muslim women is You have to start believing yourself and getting an education. Education is key to empowerment. Women need independence especially in three aspects like Financial Independence, Physical Independence and emotional Independence. Always be fighter for your rights and owe your life battles with determination.
I have been brought up in multicultural background . From witnessing Tamil to Kashmir culture to being with humans of all regions , religions and Economic backgrounds has made me multicultural. We also need to carry out these multicultural values of incision in the classroom atmosphere. By achieving the inclusiveness in class rooms and in our surroundings we can solve many major problems of humanity.
Q: How much important it is to have hope in these testing times?
SB: You need to have two things hope and faith. For achieving good things for larger good of the society we need to have these two things and right intension. I began the oxygen relief with small baby steps and with hope and faith it became a gigantic effort.
