Vinayak Lohani is the founder of Parivaar a residential and educational institution set up to provide better quality of life and opportunities to homeless and destitute children. Vinayak is committed to raising the children until they can lead a productive life. He founded Parivaar straight out of IIM Calcutta starting with just three children in a small rented building with no financial help in December 2003. Today it houses 607 erstwhile homeless and destitute children (407 boys and 190 girls) who have found a new home, family and a future at Parivaar Ashram. All children are admitted into Parivaar’s own high quality formal School ‘Amar Bharat Vidyapeeth’ affiliated to the West Bengal Board of Education. In addition, over 2,000 children from neighboring villages study at the day school. The institute has developed special methodologies and approaches to accelerate learning whereby illiterate children are able to come abreast of their peer group within a year. As a result the children, despite heavy initial backlog, due to non-exposure to education for first 8-10 years of life are performing commendably, matching children from more privileged background and outperforming all governmental and non-governmental organizations working in similar domain. In recognition of his pioneering work in the field of social entrepreneurship Vinayak was conferred many awards including the prestigious Sanskriti Award - India’s premier award for achievers not older than 35 years.
Vinayak Lohani receiving his award