Ms. Hirabai Lobi
(Empowerment of Weaker Section)
About Ms. Hirabai Lobi
- A Siddi tribe woman from Jambur village of Junagadh, Gujarat, Hirbai Ibrahim Lobi, has been honoured with the Padma Shri award 2023.
Social Work
- She spent a large part of her life in the uplift of Siddi tribal women and for the education of children.
- Since childhood, Hirbai used to get information about women’s development schemes in Siddi through the radio.
- She first joined with Agakhan Foundation and then launched a campaign to make women self-reliant by associating with BAIF, a farmer’s organization. So far, she has taught more than 700 women to open bank accounts and save money.
- AKF brings together human, financial and technical resources to address some of the challenges faced by the poorest and most marginalised communities in the world.
- She has played an important role in bringing women forward and also taught them farming. She provided employment to women with the help of social organizations through radio.
- She has established several kindergartens with the spirit of providing basic education to the children of the community.
- Apart from this, she established the Mahila Vikas Foundation in the year 2004 and has worked tirelessly to make Siddi women self-reliant. Due to these efforts of Hirbai, the women of Jambur helped their families by working in the grocery shops and tailoring.
- Till now she has been honoured with various accolades, but when she got the first prize of USD500, she put all the money into the development of the village.
