NAVARATNAS OF PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORK IN INDIA :WOMEN SOCIAL WORKERS WHO CHANGED MILLIONS OF LIVES DR. NALINI GANGADHARAN

Flexible education, marketable skills and empowerment of the marginalized are the three basic elements of the massive poverty alleviation initiative of Dr.Nalini Gangadharan, founder Chairperson of the CAP Foundation. After her Master's Degree in social work from the Madras School of Social Work, Nalini had the opportunity to work closely with the late M.S.S.Nambudiri, Director of Seva Samajam Boys' Home, for nearly three and a half years first as social worker and subsequently as Assistant Director. 

Nambudiri was a champion of innovative education and skills development of the disadvantaged children and youth to enable them and their families to move out of poverty. Nalini, in later years, expanded these initial experiences into a great socio-economic movement in India and in other countries. As a student of MSSW, I found Nalini as a self-assured person with a purpose in life. In her life mission, she found the most appropriate life partner in Dr.K.R.Gangadharan, who was also an alumnus of MSSW. Gangadharan has a charming smile always on his lips and fast moving pace while walking. They met at Lucas-TVS where Nalini was a trainee under the Personnel Officer Gangadharan. It was the beginning of a satisfying companionship through matrimony. While Nalini expanded her frontiers by opening new horizons for the poor and  underserved children and youth,and their families, Gangadharan preferred working with the elderly under the banner of Heritage elder care services at Hyderabad. Dr. Gangadhran rose to global heights in the field of ageing including the Presidentship of the International Federation on Ageing. Both Nalini and Gangadharan have been invited by the central and state governments to be in various panels. Poornima and Pavithra, their dynamic daughters, are carrying forward the elder care activities launched by their father. Poornima's focus is on medical centre and home care services for the elderly, whereas Pavithra looks after the award winning assisted living programme called Kshethra. A blessed family whose family mission is service to humanity.

Dr.T.K.Nair
Former Professor of Social Work and
a Former Principal, Madras School of Social Work.