When Dharitri Patnaik was five years old, she was abused by a family member. Dharitri Patnaik is the Founder cum Executive Chairperson of Humara Bachpan. Dharitri has been associated with international development and the non-profit sector for more than 22 years. Her areas of expertise are human rights, governance and non-profit management.

She has worked extensively on tribal issues in Odisha, urban development and internationally on poverty eradication, knowledge management and public policy. She has worked with UNICEF, the Government of Odisha’s urban development department, UNIFEM, ActionAid International and Care USA. She has a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University, USA, and a master’s degree in social work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India.

In 2012, she launched Humara Bachpan Trust, a people-led organisation that has helped children and women across 14 cities in ten states of India. “We have reached 1,35,000 children, 5,000 women and 18,000 adolescent girls. Of the total reach, over 1,858 lost children have been contacted and rescued from Bhubaneswar railway station, 11 child-marriages stopped, and over 18,764 girls helped in various career prospects,” she says.

Usharani Patra, a resident of Sikharchanti Nagar in Bhubaneswar, learned about the NGO during an event held by the community members in her area. “My family’s financial condition is poor, and they cannot afford education. The NGO funded my education after class 10 and enabled me to graduate in journalism. Currently, I am pursuing post-graduation in the same field,” she says.

Dharitri’s efforts have also helped Bhubaneswar become one of the first child-friendly cities in India. “We have contributed and partnered with the city administration to draft the proposals and implement the socially smart Bhubaneswar city project,” she adds.