Women Social entrepreneurship is vital for our future. Collectively we can make a change by closing the gap between men and women in the workforce. Entrepreneurs are those adventurous, daredevils who drive deep into the pressing problems of society and try to find solutions to them, not by leaving the responsibilities in the reins of the government or business, but by trying to change systems as whole and persuading societies to take new initiatives.
In our Social Entrepreneur series today we are introducing you a very dynamic and popular Social Entrepreneur of Pune she is known for her remarkable and outstanding performance in social field particular in Inner Wheel Club who always believes in Women Empowerment and social entrepreneurship. Yes, we are talking about Swapna Pedneka, President of Inner Wheel Club of Pune, District 313, she shared her Service and Charity Project with Hello Womeniya Team.
Brief Introduction of Swapna Pednekar :
Mrs. Swapna Pednekar (age 76) took voluntary retirement from Bank of India after a 35-year long banking career as to study gemmology and diamond grading. She launched Swapnanjali Jewellery Studio (www.swapnanjalijewellers.com) in 1992, and with her aesthetic sensibilities as well as financial acumen, made it a successful business, taking her designs across the state as well as overseas.
She was awarded the Udyog Bharti Award for outstanding achievements in business and social service at the 44th Indian Achievers’ Seminar. She is also a yoga teacher and a disciplined practitioner of yoga and meditation over the past three decades.
As a member of the Inner Wheel Club of Pune for 18 years, she has worked on several social development projects, especially those that concern underprivileged women and children.
In her tenure as IWC President 2021-2022, she successfully implemented 57 projects in all amounting to Rs 7.22 lakhs
Key Highlights of Service Project:
Project 1:
Aarogya Khajina – Medicinal Plants Garden created in co-ordination with PMC and inaugurated at Kamala Nehru Park on Deccan Gymkhana on 29th October 2021. The project received widespread coverage in mainstream media.
Project 2:
Donated mattresses, pillows and bed sheets to Sutika Seva Mandir- Maternity Home for economically underprivileged women from slums, on 4th July 2021.
Project 3:
Donated clothes to Maher Vatsalya Dham at Manjri, a shelter for mentally unstable, homeless women and children, on 27th Nov 2021. Also donated an Inverters Set (costing Rs 19500) for emergency power supply of 5 tubelights and 5 fans to their Vadoo branch near Shirur on 6th July 2021
Project 4:
Free Cervical & Breast Cancer Awareness Program and 2 Detection Check-Up Camps held at Bhosari, benefitting total 300 women on 3rd Jan and 23rd March 2022
Project 5:
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT PROJECTS – Donated an OTG oven set and accessories for vocational training to Swadhar, an NGO working for development of women and children on 25th Nov 2021. Donated a 25 kgs brand new Atta Chakki to Renuka Bachat Gat at village Adivli, Velhe, managed by Jnana Prabodhini on 31st December 2021.
Project 6:
HEALTH PROJECTS – On 8th September, we donated Medical Equipments and Utilities to Sassoon Hospital Pediatric Ward and Children’s Corona Ward. Also donated water filter and electric weighing scale, grains and utilities to Shree Vatsa, an orphanage in Sassoon Hospital which takes care of abandoned babies and children. On 24th November, we donated 64 hygiene kits to 64 ayahs (women sevaks) of Sassoon Hospital working in 3 pediatric wards including Shree Vatsa. Total amount donated was Rs 72000.
Project 7:
PROJECT FOR SPECIALLY ABLED CHILDREN – Donated play equipment (25 pairs of dumbbells, 25 play hoops and 2 fly/mosquito killers) to Aniket Sevabhavi Sanstha – an orphanage for mentally challenged children, on 14th Feb 2022. We also distributed 60 nutritious chikki bars to the children and staff. In April 2022, awarded Rs 10000 to two children from Aniket participating in national-level volleyball tournament in Gujarat in May.
Project 8:
35 t-shirts printed with logo & vision statement donated to the sports team of Poona School & Home for Blind Trust, Koregaon Park, Pune.
Project 9:
10 Crompton Ceiling fans donated to Mahila Seva Ashram an organisation that shelters 450 destitute girls and women, on 29th April.
Brief Introduction of International Inner Wheel:
International Inner Wheel is an international women’s Social organisation to create friendship, service and understanding. It has clubs in over 100 countries with over 100,000 members. IWC has very strong presence in India. It has more than 3000 thousands clubs in Urban and rural India. Since the Covid-19 Pandemic breaks out Inner wheel club launched charity campaign worldwide. In our Inner wheel Social entrepreneur series in this Episode we are introducing very popular face of IWC; she doesn’t need any kind of Introduction.
About District 313:
District Chairman (for 2021-2022):
Santosh Singh