Pune: The Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Samstha, (MKSSS) will be felicitating Chandrika Chavan from Solapur with the ‘Baya Karve Award’ for her contribution in women’s empowerment.
Chavan has trained over 3,000 local women to become self-employed and over 300 have become entrepreneurs. The peanut chutney produced by these women entrepreneurs has received geographical indication (GI) tag by the government.
These women run ‘Polibhaji centres’ at different locations, supplying the chutney to 3,000 to 3,500 people. They also sell Diwali snacks in India and abroad. Under the initiatives implemented by Chavan like Annapurna scheme, they provide free food to grandparents with the help of Mangaldrishti. Also, many visually challenged girls got employed through these schemes.
She became a corporator without any expenditure on propaganda. When she took up charge as corporator, Chavan learned about difficulties faced by women in the area. However, she left politics later to immerse herself fully in social work.
Dr Manda Amte, Sunanda Patwardhan, Smita Kolhe, Meera Badve are some of the previous recipients of this award.