Sheetal Amte (26 January 1981 – 30 November 2020), also known by the name Sheetal Amte-Karajgi after her marriage, was an Indian public health expert, disability specialist and social entrepreneur. She was chief executive officer and board member of a non-profit organisation, Maharogi Sewa Samiti, which focuses on helping people disadvantaged by leprosy.[1][2][3]
Sheetal Amte | |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 January 1981 Warora, Maharashtra, India |
| Died | (aged 39) Chandrapur, Maharashtra, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Education | MBBS |
| Alma mater | Government Medical College (Nagpur) |
| Occupation(s) | Doctor, public health expert, disability specialist, social worker |
| Known for | CEO of the Maharogi Sewa Samiti, Warora |
| Spouse | Gautam Karajgi |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | www.sheetalamtekarajgi.com |
Life
editAmte was the daughter of Vikas Amte and Bharati Amte, and the granddaughter of Baba Amte,[4] who founded a rehabilitation center for individuals affected by leprosy at Anandwan, in the state of Maharashtra, where she lived on campus.[4][5][6] She also founded the Maharogi Sewa Samiti (MSS), Warora, and served as its chief executive officer and board member,[7] which provided a range of health care, rehabilitation, education, agriculture, and economic empowerment programmes.[8][9] Maharogi Sewa Samiti has contributed significantly in generating livelihood capacities for thousands of marginalised individuals, particularly those living with conditions such as leprosy, physical impairments, and sensory limitations, along with the tribal populace. Since 1949, she operated from one of the most backward districts of Central India, Chandrapur.[7]
She studied medicine and became a physician[7] and also completed a master's degree in social entrepreneurship[4] from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS),[7] and joined her family working at Anandwan[7] to continue her grandfather's vision; her brother Kaustubh is an accountant for Anandwan and her uncle Prakash Amte and aunt Mandakini Amte are also physicians at the community.[3][10] She also studied leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School.[4]
She helped to secure the financial assistance of the Tech Mahindra Foundation to provide food for children in Anandwan schools.[11] She also led the installation of solar power panels at the community,[7] resulting in Maharogi Sewa Samiti receiving an award for Innovative Energy Project of the Year 2016 from the Association of Energy Engineers, and intended to incorporate more smart technology into the community in future to make Anandwan a smart village.[7][12] Dr. Sheetal was working as a fellow of the World Innovation Organisation, an initiative from World Summit on Innovation and United Nations.[7]
Recognition
edit2016:
- Named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.[7][4][2]
- Selected as Member of World Economic Forum Expert Network on Humanitarian Response.[7]
- Selected as a United Nations Innovation Ambassador and an advisor to i4P (Innovations for Peace).[5][13]
- Awarded INK fellowship and Rotary Vocational Excellence Award.[7]
Death
editOn 30 November 2020, she died by suicide.[14] She was also a painter and is survived by her husband Gautam Karajgi and a seven-year-old son Sharvil.[4]
References
edit- ^ Rao, Madhu (30 November 2020). "Sheetal Amte, granddaughter of Baba Amte, dies by suicide in Maharashtra's Chandrapur". www.indiatvnews.com. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- ^ a b "Four Indians figure in WEF's Young Global Leaders Class of 2016". The Economic Times. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
- ^ a b "A New Generation Takes Up Baba Amte's Torch – OpEd". Eurasia Review. 26 May 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f Pandey, Kirti (1 December 2020). "Family tree of Baba Amte: Sons Prakash and Vikas Amte; who was Sheetal Amte and her role at Anandwan". www.timesnownews.com. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- ^ a b "Parmesh's Viewfinder: Meet the Amtes". Verve Magazine. 3 June 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
- ^ Pandya, Haresh (17 February 2008). "Baba Amte, 93, Dies; Advocate for Lepers". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Not just Baba Amte's granddaughter: From Anandwan to WEF's Young Global Leader, journey of Dr Sheetal Amte". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- ^ Palmer, Joanna; Mullan, Zoë (December 2016). "Highlights 2016: moving pictures". The Lancet. 388 (10063): 2975–2988. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)32532-6. ISSN 0140-6736. S2CID 54315480.
- ^ "Dr. Sheetal Amte, Baba Amte's daughter shares her story today". sheroes.com. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
- ^ Indian public health expert,Dr Sheetal Amte reportedly dies
- ^ Khanna, Vinod (2015). Making Dreams Come True: The Story of the Tech Mahindra Foundation. Penguin.
- ^ "International award for Anandwan's solar energy use – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
- ^ "Stories, Ideas and Perspectives | 300+ Inspirational talks by remarkable people from INK events -". www.inktalks.com. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
- ^ Joshi, Sahil (30 November 2020). "Baba Amte's granddaughter Sheetal Amte dies by suicide, weeks after public spat over family trust". India Today. Retrieved 30 November 2020.