Jasola Village, NEW DELHI :

Sana Khan, founder Rahat Foundation receiving an award in Dubai

Sana Khan set up the Rahat Foundation on 26 February 2010 and during the 14 years of its existence in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Maharashtra it helps women school dropouts. 

Sitting in her modest office in Jasola village in south east Delhi, Sana Khan, 47, told Awaz-the Voice that presently her most important project is about getting the school dropouts to complete their education. She gets such women admitted to the Jamia’s openm school of National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). 

Sana Khan says belueves that the right to education is universal and with this thought she has so far rehablitated 2,000 dropout children back into the educational mainstream.

Sana Khan not only sends the dropouts back to school but also takes the responsibility of imparting them skills and ensuring their job placements.

Her NGO teaches courses like digital marketing, fashion designing, etc. Interestingly, Rahat Foundation also managed to train 256 women drivers and helped them get licenses to drive.

Sana Khan says so far her NGO has employed about 10 thousand young men and women. They had acquired different skills at the classes of the Rahat Foundation. 

Of these, 6000 did learn digital marketing, and 4000 fashion designing . Sana Khan says she contacted the fashion designing industry located in Okhla Phase 2 in Delhi, while the digital marketing trainees gots jobs in the IT sector, call centers, Swiggy, Zomato, Ola, etc

Some beneficieries of Rahat Foundation

She also remains in touch with the companies where she enrolls the skilled young men and women of the Rahat Foundation for jobs.

Sana Khan said, “My father died when I was in my 8th class. I was 13 years old. I had two elder brothers and a mother in my house. I can’t even describe the financial difficulties we faced at that time. One day a person from an NGO touched our lives and everything started changing.”

“Back then I got support and today I am at the stage where I have created a successful world of my own. I always try to help others, ” she says.

Rahat Foundation takes utmost care of all their beneficiaries. It arranges their exam fees, books, etc. The NGO does occasional fundraising to meet its expenses.  

Sana Khan receiving an award

Sana Khan says she is careful in checking the genuineness of the beneficiery. She says there is a strict system of checking and whetting of a potential beneficiery. Rahat Foundation takens both boys and girls under its wings, she said.

Sana Khan has 70 people in her team who are divided into groups to form sub-units and working at the grass root in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra.

Sana Khan said that soon Rahat Foundation will set up its centers in Bangalore, Karnataka.

Sana Khan says that from time to time she organizes camps in which awareness about education is spread in society. So far, she has set up 500 to 600 campuses under the banner of Rahat Foundation.

Sana Khan receiving an award

Going down memory lane, Sana Khan said that when she did a mass communication course from South Delhi Polytechnic, New delhi in 2010, she also worked with the Sahara group of publications. 

“However, while working with the newspaper, my wish to help the needy kept over powering my mind and ultimately, I had laid the foundation of Rahat Foundation.”

Sana Khan says that today her NGO is well-known for its work and people do recognise her work. She said she received immense support from society during the Covid-19 pandemic when Rahat Foundation distributed blankets and dry rations to the people. It also ditributed school bags for children to keep their hopes alibe and essential medicines during that difficult phase.

Recently Sana Khan was honoured in Dubai, the UAE. She had already received several awards and honours from companies and forums in Bengaluru, and Delhi. 

Sana Khan is willing to help people who contact her on her  website and Facebook page. .

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Onika Maheshwari, New Delhi / May 04th, 2024