Women’s Day in 2018 in Dadra Nagar Haveli was when I immediately found myself in the right place.

My friend Nivedita Desai of Animedh Charitable Trust (ACT) invited me to visit Dadra Nagar Haveli, where ACT had been working since 2017. The women of the adivasi community of the Warli tribe had gathered in the village of Velugao to celebrate Women’s Day.

Women wearing colourful sarees and flowers in their hair were showcasing their tribal dance, singing songs, and performing street plays on topics that were close to their hearts — ones they were living every single day.

These women’s lives were shaped by vulnerability, resilience, and quiet strength. They were not only the backbone of their families and their community, but also the ones facing so much societal pressure that they were on the verge of crumbling under it. And yet they were holding themselves together, and to me they looked like strong, powerful women standing on the brink of change.

The next day, I met some of these women — part of a cooperative — over a discussion. As the conversation unfolded, among all the voices I heard, the strongest one said: “Our children stop studying after Std. 8th. They are 14 or 15 and working in factories under the Apprentice Act — they buy mobiles, drink alcohol, have live-in relationships, and if they are so much as scolded, they commit suicide.”

These were only the spoken words. There were many unspoken ones, visible in their eyes.

They added, “Our fathers did the same, and we are repeating the same cycle, generation after generation.”

They went on to share that there are no services for children with disabilities for miles around, and as mothers of these children, they were deeply worried — uncertain about where to go for help, and afraid of the stigma that came with asking.

Standing there, I realised I was witnessing a critical gap — between early signs of delays and disabilities and early support; between wanting to care and having access to services; between resilience and available resources. I could hear in their voices a cry for help, and the fear of disappointing their hope overwhelmed me for a week.

What I did not know was that my presence on that day would become my purpose — forever.

I wasn’t just witnessing stories. I was standing at the edge of a beginning.

I realised I was standing at an intersection of silence and need — where women were strong but unsupported, where disability was not a diagnosis but a destiny, shaped by ignorance and lack of access.

I went back to Ummeed Child Development Centre – where I had learned everything I know about child development and disability — and shared my thoughts with them. They immediately agreed to participate, and with their support, we conducted a needs assessment exercise to identify which pressing issue in the community should be addressed most urgently.

That single day became the seed from which two programs were born:

Nanhe Kadam — for children aged 0 to 6, addressing early childhood delays and disabilities. Mehek — a program to address mental health in children aged 7 to 13.

Today, seven years on from that day, I have witnessed the development of an ecosystem.

Many thanks to Nivedita Desai, Managing Trustee of ACT, for trusting me and my work.

A story that started with supporting young children has come full circle. Animedh Charitable Trust is now working in Dadra Nagar Haveli across:

• Adolescent girls — through menstrual health surveillance and safe practices around health and nutrition for mothers and babies (the first 1,000 days approach)
• Early Childhood Development and Disabilities — ages 0 to 6
• Mental Health for young adults — ages 15 to 22

My main focus remains mentoring women from the community who are trained as Early Childhood Champions (ECCs) and Child Development Aides working with children with disabilities. Together, we focus on early identification and early intervention, parental guidance, and community awareness.

That Women’s Day became the starting point for everything that followed.

Sometimes, change doesn’t begin with a plan — but by being in the right place.