Meet the Social Reformer & an Indian Cricketer Wife, Priyanka C Raina
“Women are the real architects of society.” –Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Priyanka Chaudhary Raina firmly believes in this above quote. She is not just a star wife, but also a
social reformer. She is working towards the
upliftment of the girl child and
Women and Children Welfare. A software engineer by education, Priyanka completed a stellar stint as a banker with ING in Netherlands before she went on a maternity leave to welcome her beautiful daughter Gracia. She is the co-founder of
Gracia Raina Foundation along with her cricketer husband,
Suresh Raina. Read more about this
social reformer; the lady who defines herself as ambitious and compassionate in this interview with
BananiVista.
BV: What was your ultimate aim in life when you were a kid?
Priyanka: To be empowered!
BV: Would you please introduce your social initiative, Gracia Raina Foundation to our readers?
Priyanka: The Gracia Raina Foundation is dedicated to
creating awareness and work closely for
women and children health-physical health, mental health and beyond. The foundation empowers women, especially pregnant ones to make informed decisions about themselves and their children. It even provides them opportunities for a sustainable livelihood.
Gracia Raina Foundation
BV: How did you come across the idea of establishing this Foundation?
Priyanka: This is a cause that is very close to my heart. Mothers often bear the brunt of everything. The root issues are often neglected. Pregnancy is not easy and your body goes through a lot of changes. One needs to be aware of such things in order to be able to deal with them.
We live in a country where kids are malnourished and women are not able to understand their own issues. That is why it is important for
foundations and NGOs to come forward and help such causes.
BV: Would you like to educate our readers with the modus operandi of GRF?
Priyanka: We have aligned ourselves with various NGOs that support our cause and share the same values. GRF is still very new; we are gathering data and doing our research so that we know exactly where we need to set up camps and engage with women across the country.
BV: Besides a change from job to GRF on the professional front, what other changes have Gracia brought in your life?
Priyanka: My daughter is my world. Not just for me, but for Suresh too! She is naughty and keeps us on our toes, constantly! Having her has been nothing less than sheer joy! We have become a lot more responsible too.
Priyanka with her daughter Gracia
BV: What do you think are the biggest challenges in letting girls follow their dreams?
Priyanka: Girls are always told what to do, what to wear and how to live. People condition them right from childhood and tell them how to live their lives. As a society we fail them and don’t allow them to sprout their wings and fly. This is the biggest challenge and we need to break these stereotypes.
BV: Your agenda for the coming year?
Priyanka: We would like to align ourselves with more NGOs. The idea is to eventually have GRF set up camps that work closely with pregnant women and monitor them regularly.
Priyanka at a health camp for kids
