From toys to taboos: How Vaidhei Pagaria is empowering women and children through her NGO

Navi Mumbai resident Vaidhei Pagaria started volunteering with a few not-for-profit organisations when she came face to face with the stark difference between the world she came from and the one people from less privileged backgrounds lived in. That made her realise that many women did not even have access to something as basic as a sanitary pad, while children barely had access to books — let alone board games for recreation. That’s when she decided to do something about it and started the Pagaria Welfare Foundation in 2019.

The NGO engages in menstrual health initiatives, challenging the taboos that persist in India

“We work to uplift children and women in rural and semi-urban communities through initiatives such as community learning centres, toy libraries, menstrual hygiene management, and women’s empowerment programmes,” shares Pagaria, who is the director and CEO.

The NGO works to educate, guide, and create awareness about social issues, with a focus on promoting social welfare across different sections of society. The organisation supports initiatives in education, health, and development by collaborating with related agencies and providing them with the necessary resources and guidance.

“Under Project Khilona, I wanted to integrate play with learning, as everyone seems to be focused on mainstream education. But I observed that most younger children usually play only three games — skipping, snakes and ladders, and cricket. Exposure to other games was quite limited, and so under this project, we started providing games that engage mental faculties and, in a way, turn playtime into a brain gym,” she explains.

Apart from project khilona (toy library and play based learning with indoor, outdoor and educational toys), the NGO also has other projects like project vidyalaya (digital and infrastructural support and development at aganwadi and schools); project shiksha (all round integrated learning and skill development centers for communities); project pustak (library with books, charts, flash cards for enhancing knowledge); project computer shiksha (digital computer education training centers in schools and communities); and  project laadli (intensive awareness programmes and product distribution drives on sustainable MHM and training, mentoring, guiding and supporting girls and women with skill development). 

“Menstruation is something that every woman deals with on a monthly basis, and yet it remains a taboo. So many women don’t even have access to decent-quality sanitary pads, while many aren’t even aware of the other products available. So, we collaborated with Menstrupedia, through which we have been spreading awareness about menstrual health, distributing Menstrupedia comics, conducting workshops, and more,” she shares.

Niraj Maheshwari, President, UltraTech Cement

Niraj Maheshwari, President, UltraTech Cement, shared, “I’ve been closely following Vaidhei’s inspiring work since 2019, and it’s incredible to see how her vision has shaped the Pagaria Welfare Foundation (PWF) into a true force for good. Under her leadership, PWF has been uplifting children and women across rural and semi-urban communities through impactful initiatives like community learning centers, toy libraries, menstrual hygiene programs, and women empowerment projects. Her unwavering commitment to creating opportunities through education, health, and empowerment is truly commendable. Kudos to her and the entire Pagaria Welfare Foundation team for driving lasting social change.”