Angels Of Nashik | Shyamala Chavan: Empowering Tribals, Educating The Underprivileged

Nashik: For Shyamala Chavan, social work is meaningful only when it creates a visible and lasting impact. A veteran social activist and secretary of the Manav Adhikar Samvardhan Sanghatana (MASS) and Mission Ekalavya, Chavan has spent decades working for the education of underprivileged children and the self-reliance of tribal communities.

“I wholeheartedly subscribe to Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of self-reliant villages and a robust rural economy driven by small-scale enterprises; my entire life's work is dedicated to realising that vision,” she says.

With a simple lifestyle and a low-profile approach to social work, Chavan has earned respect across Nashik’s social, educational and rural movements. Her journey began in childhood, influenced by her father, a Rashtra Seva Dal activist and socialist thinker. The social workers who frequently visited her home and her mother’s habit of feeding them helped instil values of service and equality in her.

A major turning point came in 1988, when she attended the Samata Sanskar Shibir at Ozar. During her student years, she took up issues affecting underprivileged students. After a Nashik student, Chandrakant Tapkire, died by suicide following difficulties related to non-payment of his stipend, she pursued the issue and succeeded in getting stipend amounts increased.

Mission Ekalavya

In 1989, Chavan conceptualised the Ekalavya Gaurav Puraskar under MASS to recognise students from poor and working-class families who overcome difficult circumstances to pass their Class 10 examination on their first attempt. The initiative was named Ekalavya by renowned litterateur and Jnanpith Award winner Kusumagraj (VV Shirwadkar).

Volunteers visit students’ homes and assess their economic and family circumstances rather than relying only on marksheets. The initiative also works to prevent dropouts, assists students with admissions and provides career and guidance support. Around 260 students are reached every year, with 180-200 recognised as Ekalavyas.

Many former beneficiaries have gone on to become PhD holders, researchers, professors, police personnel, LIC agents and social workers.

Building self-reliant villages

Chavan’s work extends to six villages in Peth taluka -- Kayre, Savarna, Zari, Borichi Bari, Mohacha Pada and Kumbhale. Rather than distributing charity, she focused on creating sustainable livelihoods.

She encouraged women to establish kitchen gardens to tackle malnutrition and formed 41 producer groups involving around 600 women. They received training in goat rearing, organic rice cultivation, vermicomposting and preparing organic inputs such as Jeevamrut and Dashparni Ark.

The women’s collectives have also established and independently operated three rice mills. Through Aapla Bazaar, chemical-free farm produce, hand-pounded rice and wild vegetables are marketed directly to consumers, reducing dependence on middlemen.

Her work has also extended to disaster relief, flood assistance, public lectures and organising medical support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“True social work lies in understanding the impact one's actions have on the life of the person at the very end of the line,” Chavan says.

Her work reflects a simple philosophy: empower people to become self-reliant rather than make them dependent on assistance.

Dr Milind Wagh, Principal, MVP’s College of Pharmacy, said, “Shyamala Chavan’s hallmark is her ability to bring about positive change in the lives of people at the grassroots level with quiet dedication, completely devoid of any political or commercial agenda. She curbed the migration of tribals from Peth taluka and secured guaranteed employment for them, while simultaneously strengthening the educational foundation for the children of thousands of labourers through Mission Ekalavya.”