About Indira Ranamagar

About Indira Ranamagar

Indira Ranamagar is a social worker and a chairperson of PA Nepal, a non-profit organization that looks after the children of criminal parents living in the jails. She is a well-known name to the prison authorities of Nepal and has been working in the field of human rights for the past 30 years. The organization has established 12 children home, two schools, 4 Daycares, and several other social projects to help prisoners and their children.

She was one of the three nominees of the 2014 World Children’s Prize and was awarded the world children’s honorary award in October 2014 by Queen Silvia of Sweden. She is awarded Asia 21 Leaders, Ashoka Fellow, and the first women to get featured in BBC’s 100 Women List 2017 as influential and inspirational women from around the world. Besides these, she has also featured in many international magazines and interviews. BBC News featured her as an inspiring woman in the world.

From Jhapa to Kathmandu: A journey that began 29 years back

The noble social worker was born in 1970 in a beautiful village of Jhapa District called Shanischare-6 Salbari. She was born into a poverty-ridden lower class family of landless farmers and was the youngest child among the six siblings. Two of her siblings died at a very young age. She was not allowed to go to school because of her gender. She had to stay at home and had to do the household works. At that time, society was not aware of providing education to both boys and girls. Only boys were allowed to get the education and girls were forced to stay back at home.

Her brothers were allowed to attend the school and she learned the basic education from her brothers. Born into extreme poverty, she had a hard time arranging the study materials. So she started practicing letters by scratching the dirt with her fingers. Finally, she got her chance to attend school.

She was a very bright student and always topper in the class. Despite not having proper school materials, not even a pencil, Indira excelled at school. She faced many difficulties in her childhood. It was her determination that kept her moving ahead in her life. She became a school teacher and began providing adult literacy classes for the women of her village. She always wanted to get out of her limited local life. So, she started feeling restless.

How she became a social worker?

During the time of political turmoil, she made a plan to go to the capital city to devote her life to social work. She moved to Kathmandu and became a teacher in a small school, where she met the popular writer and human rights activist “Parijaat”. At that time, Parijat was fighting for the rights of political prisoners. Parijaat started taking Indira to prisons in Nepal and started showing her work to Indira. It was through this work that Indira learned the ins and outs of the Nepali justice system and became interested in prisoners’ rights. Now she is leading the path of noble work crafted by her mentor” Parijaat”.
She started working with the famous human rights activist, Parijaat and started building relationships with the prisoners. She started earning the trust of the prisoners. While working with Parijat, Indira got a chance to spot the human rights issues in the prisons of Nepal, which made her build a strong determination to solve those issues. Indira got familiar with the struggle faced by the political prisoners and their children through various social projects. So, she started taking a deep interest in the welfare of prisoners in Nepal.
Journey

In 2000, she founded her own nonprofit NGO in Nepal, Prisoner’s Assistance Nepal. Her journey since then has not been easy. She was determined to help prisoners in Nepal and support their children. Her main aim is to provide safe children home, educate the children, make them independent and reunite with their family. She has collaborated with the Network for Children Prisoners and Dependents (NCPD).

She works to provide safe, supportive lodging and education for children whose parents are imprisoned. Currently, Prisoner Assistant Nepal runs 12 children’s homes, 2 schools, and dozens of other sundry projects. The children, she has rescued are now grown up and are doing good in their fields.PA Nepal has been constantly working to help children live a normal life beyond prison cells and help prisoners rehabilitate in society after serving their time in prison.

Interesting facts about Indira Ranamagar

1. Indira Ranamagar is a permanent resident of Jhapa, Sanischare.
2. She is a mother of more than 1500 children.
3. She is inspired by the work of Parijaat in prison.
4. She has completed her SLC from her birthplace Jhapa and has completed her Bachelor’s degree in commerce from Kathmandu.
5. She has worked as a laborer in a textile mill during her struggling phase.
6. She is the first Nepali to be featured on BBC 100 influential women in the world.
7. She is a founder of a nonprofit organization, Prisoners Assistance Nepal.
8. Despite being successful, Indira has a very down to earth personality and always uses cycle to travel.

Awards and Nominations

She has won many awards for her selfless work. She was one of three finalist nominees for the 2014 World’s Children’s Prize,”, but she won the title of the world’s children’s Honorary Award, which was awarded by Queen Silvia of Sweden. She has won many notable awards in her lifetime including the young AsiaPublic service award and Ashoka Fellowship award.

She has various national awards like Lilaram Kunti Devi Neupane Social Service Award 2014, NayeeKharaGaurab Award 2013, Excellent Social Worker Award 2013, Honored by Universal Peace Federation as Ambassador for Peace 2013, Navatalash Struggling Women Award 2012, Social Development Award 2012, Navadevi Shakti Award, National “SajhaAbhibhabakIn a recent interview, the social entrepreneur, Indira Rana Magar said that she does not want to be known by those prestigious awards, she wants everyone to know her as a mother of helpless children.