Pioneering Change

The Society for Rational Development (SFORD) works towards holistic development in the villages of western Rajasthan, under the leadership of Manish Mundra and Dr Sunil Nahar. MARWAR brings you their inspiring story.

- Anurima Das

AT A DAY AND AGE WHEN TECHNOLOGY HAS permeated almost every facet of Indian life, gaps still exist in villages like Birami Fanta, where education and development are still a distant dream for many. Add to this the harsh climate of the Jodhpur region and its close proximity to the Luni River (which literally means ‘river of salt’), and the region’s barren and infertile soil does not leave much to look forward to.

With a mission to spread light and hope in this forbidding land, Dr Sunil Nahar, who holds a doctorate in agriculture cost accounting, has sacrificed his degree and claim to fame happily, just to pave the way for basic education to reach the children of this rural outback. Thus, in 2002, the Society for Rational Development (SFORD) Jodhpur was registered as a non-profit organisation (NPO). Its mission was to work towards holistic rural development in the villages of western Rajasthan, with concentrative efforts on imparting quality education to children, under the inspiring leadership of Manish Mundra and Dr Nahar, in their capacity as the chairman and director of SFORD respectively.

“Since childhood, my grandfather and my father inspired me with their vision and thoughts of animal welfare and the Gurukul philosophy of education, which fascinated me,” says Dr Nahar. “They showed me the path to explore something new that would bring about a change for the greater good of society. Finally, when my grandfather donated our ancestral land of 55 acres way back in 2000-02, I made a commitment to my family to walk the path and take up the cause they had initiated. Over time, the vision was expanded to provide basic education to children who provide economic support to their families and usually take up work from the tender age of 5-6 years.”