She’s a trained lawyer with a sound media background, but Sanchaita wanted to pursue things that truly mattered to her. The 29-year-old chose to work for the underprivileged and decided to set up SANA, Social Awareness Newer Alternatives. The NGO was established to protect and empower the marginalised sections of society, particularly rural India.
“During my media tenure, I produced many award-winning documentaries and corporate films for both the private sector as well as the government sector. But I always wanted my work to directly impact the people,” says Sanchiata.
Sanchaita, daughter of media veteran Uma Gajpati Raju, says that her parents are her driving force. “I was moved to see the real face of rural India when my mother, in partnership with the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, had taken the Lifeline Express, a hospital on wheels to the remote corners of Visakhapatnam,” she says.
Sanchaita’s another interface with “real” India was when she accompanied her father Ramesh Sharma on sustainable intervention with the marginalised farmers in Gulbarga.
So, how does her organisation actually work? “As part of its social responsibility, SANA is also committed to sensitising communities and promoting non-violence as a tool for conflict resolution. For this, we will organise seminars and events like music concerts and film premieres. Our focus will be water, sanitation, education and skill development, healthcare and green solutions,” she says.
Talking about her maiden initiative, Sanchaita says, “We, along with Delhi government, got the state-of-the-art solar powered water treatment plant set up in Surajmal Vihar, East Delhi. The plant uses an abandoned borewell to help produce over 5,000 litres of potable drinking water daily that meets WHO standards. It uses solar-powered panels and micro-ionising water purification processes, converting brackish, contaminated water. Over 750 school children from economically backward homes will be allocated five litres of clean potable water daily and their families living nearby. It’s just the beginning,” she signs off.