Hear their Voices – A Zoom event with Voice of Children
Please join us on Wednesday March 3 at 7:30 pm for a presentation and conversation with TRAS partners Raghu Tewari, Kanchan Bhandari and Nilima Bhatt from the Voice of Children project to learn about the inspiring and impactful work they do for children and youth in remote Himalayan villages.
Event overview:
TRAS is unable to plan in-person dinners and talks at present. So we are turning to Zoom and extending an invitation to our friends everywhere to join TRAS Directors for a unique opportunity to connect directly with our partners in the Himalaya.
Join us on March 3 at 7:30PM (PST) to meet and hear from the founders and staff of the Voice of Children project in the Almora and Nainital districts of northern India.
To register: Email info@tras.ca or register through Canada Helps. An email with the Zoom link will be sent to you the day before the event.
Prizes! Attend the Zoom event to enter your name in a draw for “door” prizes!
Hold the date: Wednesday, March 3, 7:30PM PST
Please share this invitation with your friends and networks!
Raghu Tewari is the founder and Managing Trustee of the non-profit, AMAN (meaning Peace), in Almora. He has dedicated the past 30 years to the non-profit sector, strengthening grassroots social actions and building community capacity through program support, training and alliance building. Currently, his focus is on child rights, local self-governance, community forestry, women’s empowerment and diversification of livelihood options for local people to build an equitable society. Raghu was born in a remote village of Almora district. He has a Master’s degree in Political Science and Social Work, and a Bachelor’s degree in Law.
Kanchan Bhandari is a social worker with over 20 years of experience advocating for children and women, and striving for a world free of gender inequality and discrimination. She founded the non-profit Vimarsh in Nainital in 2000, and has been recognized for her contributions to child protection and the prevention of sexual harassment of women. In 2019, she was awarded the Gender Equality Champion Award by the Nainital district administration. In 2020, the Government of the state of Uttarakhand conferred on her the prestigious Tilu Rauteli Award for her exemplary work and service. Kanchan has an MA in Sociology and a Master of Social Work degree.
Nilima Bhatt is passionate about the Himalaya and improving life for mountain communities. As Executive Coordinator of AMAN since 2003, she is committed to child rights, gender equality, rural development, and ecological governance. Her dedication to the wellbeing of adolescent girls has motivated young girls to attend school, get educated, live in a safe, respectful and healthy environment and be confident as they witness change around them. She is a member of the Almora Child Welfare Committee and Committee Against Sexual Harassment, and is Convenor of Campaign Against Child Labour. Nilima has a Master’s degree in Social Work.
Together, Raghu and Kanchan created the Voice of Children (VOC) project to address the severe problems of inequitable access to education, child labour, child marriage, lack of primary health care and general lack of opportunity for children in mountain villages surrounding Almora and Nainital. TRAS is a long-term supporter of this project.
If you have any questions for the VOC team, please send them prior to March 1 to info@tras.ca. We also encourage you to ask questions, using the Chat box, during the event.
We look forward to seeing you there!
The TRAS Board
