For Chandigarh school student Mansimar Kaur, social service is not a sudden campaign, but a series of continuous efforts. From connecting rural women artisans with digital platforms to delivering relief material to the flood-affected people of Punjab, she has proficiently worked on social issues alongside her studies. Recently, Punjab’s Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur specially honored Mansimar for her contribution to flood relief, women’s empowerment, and the preservation of Punjab’s cultural heritage.
A student of Strawberry Fields High School, Chandigarh, Mansimar started ‘Project Kala’ in December 2022. The main objective of this project was to provide social media and digital tools training to rural women artisans of Punjab and take their products to larger markets. Under this campaign, special attention was given to digital security and financial awareness, along with the use of platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp Business. In the initial phase, work was started with 25 to 30 rural women artisans from the Bassi Pathana area in Fatehgarh Sahib district.
The main focus of ‘Project Kala’ remained Punjab’s traditional Phulkari embroidery. Mansimar’s focus was not limited merely to preserving this ancient art, but also to ensuring that the women keeping this art alive could become economically self-reliant by connecting their skills with the modern market. Moving forward, this project connected with more than 50 rural women artisans and ensured direct sales of over ₹2 lakh.
This excellent initiative also received major recognition in the ‘Equality Club Incubator Programme’, where out of a competition among more than 150 teams, Mansimar’s team secured the second position and received a grant of ₹1 lakh. To connect the art of Phulkari with the new generation, a special exhibition was also organized at Strawberry Fields High School, which was attended by around 2,000 people. Thus, ‘Project Kala’ established traditional art not merely as a cultural symbol, but also as a tool for the economic empowerment of women.
Mansimar’s activities are not limited only to social enterprise. Working as a Student Journalist, she has also written a research paper for ‘BehanBox’ on the topic “Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors,” which highlights serious issues like gender inequality, labor, and social representation. She sees herself as a grassroots organizer whose main objective is to strive for equality-based development and cultural justice.
Another important aspect of Mansimar’s leadership came to the fore during the devastating floods in Punjab. Along with her fellow student Eva Jain, she launched a large-scale flood relief campaign by uniting school students, parents, and teachers. Under this campaign, apart from cash contributions, a large quantity of essential items such as rice, pulses, drinking water, medicines, toiletry kits, sanitary pads, mattresses, bedsheets, and blankets were collected.
According to various figures, financial and material aid worth more than ₹40 to ₹45 lakh was mobilized through this relief campaign. This collected aid was delivered to the affected areas in collaboration with non-governmental organizations like ‘Global Sikhs’, ‘Sewa Punjab’, and ‘Global Shapers Society’. For this commendable work, both students were also specially honored by Rajya Sabha member Satnam Singh Sandhu and the Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, Gulab Chand Kataria.
At first glance, the preservation of Phulkari art and the flood relief campaign might seem like two different directions—on one hand is the economic empowerment of rural women, and on the other is immediate humanitarian aid during a disaster. But at the core of both efforts lay the same sentiment—uniting people for social welfare and making the right use of available resources.
The honor received from Dr. Baljit Kaur has brought state-level recognition to Mansimar’s efforts. In today’s era, when discussions about the youth are often considered limited only to going abroad or careers, this initiative by Mansimar sets a new example. Her journey makes it clear that regardless of age, if the determination is strong, a new chapter of social change can be written alongside school studies.
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