A Conversation with Padma Venkataraman

Padma Venkataraman has been named by Enterprise Mentors as the 2009 Humanitarian of the Year, an honor which has previously been bestowed upon leaders including Mrs. Laura Bush and Guatemalan First Lady Wendy Widmann de Berger. She is being recognized for her tremendous work on behalf of the many Indian families affected by leprosy.

Mrs. Venkataraman’s innovative and dedicated work on behalf of Indian leprosy victims began over fifteen years ago, as she spent time in colonies offering comfort and hope to those living there. Since then she has worked tirelessly to improve many aspects of the lives of leprosy sufferers, accomplishing a diverse array of tasks ranging from offering microcredit loans to opening a school. Historically, those affected by leprosy have faced a terrible and powerful social stigma that goes beyond the suffering inflicted upon them by their disease. Mrs. Venkataraman’s work attempts to address the social cruelty and isolation faced by people already afflicted by a physical illness.

Mrs. Venkataraman works at a global level in order to effect change. She lived in Vienna, Austria, for many years, where her various positions included that of permanent representative of the All India Women’s Conference to the U.N. and member of several non-profit Committees accredited to the U.N., such as the Committee on Narcotics and the Committee on the Disabled. During her time in Austria, she served as President of the United Nations Women’s Guild, one of the founding members of the Women’s Indian Association, and the Vice President of the Austro-Indian Association. Though she held many leadership positions, she also helped mentally and physically challenged children in Vienna.

In India, she has been extremely active in working toward leprosy rehabilitation for fifteen years. As Honorary Director of a DANIDA-funded leprosy rehabilitation project under the Women’s Indian Association in Chennai, she worked to provide financing for residents of ten government rehabilitation homes and thirty-one colonies. Her micro-credit loans hope to produce sustainable and self-sufficient colonies for sufferers of leprosy, so the residents can live independently of handouts or welfare. Mrs. Venkataraman believes in the fundamental dignity and humanity of the residents of leper colonies, attempting to reduce the social prejudice they face as a marginalized minority group. She has also worked to improve their healthcare and education standards, as well as assisting with the building of homes.

Mrs. Venkataraman’s 2004 partnership with Rising Star Outreach has allowed her to raise awareness about leprosy and the stigmatization of its sufferers whilst continuing to help them become self-sufficient. She became interested in Rising Star Outreach after learning about Becky Douglas, the American housewife who founded the NGO. Their extraordinarily successful partnership is responsible for over 4,000 micro-loans to those affected by leprosy and the opening of a school for over 200 children. They travel together to address audiences around the world about their work, and have already spoken at Harvard University and the United Nations. Mrs. Venkataraman is currently the head of all of Rising Star Outreach’s micro-finance projects in the colonies and also sits on the board of directors.

Mrs. Venkataraman is the daughter of former Indian President R. Venkataraman and holds an honorary doctorate from Emmanuel College in Kota. She is married and has two daughters, but she is also considered family to many Indian families afflicted by leprosy. As a symbol of their love and appreciation for her, they call her Amma, an honorary term which means, �mother.�