Dr Ketna Mehta, the founder of Nina Foundation said, “Although we are working since past 13 years, this is the first award Nina Foundation has received from a non-disability organization. We want to reach and help as many people as we can.”She was speaking after being felicitated by Usha Ananthasubramanian, Chairman and Managing Director of the Bhartiya Mahila Bank (BMB), at an event organised by Moneylife Foundation on the occasion of International Women’s Day in Mumbai.
Moneylife Foundation also felicitated another extraordinary activist Sheela Chitnis, the founding member and honorary secretary of Multiple Sclerosis Society of India (MSSI). Both Ms Chitnis, who is often referred as Sheelatai, and Dr Mehta have shown incredible courage to overcome major setbacks in their personal life and have converted their experience into a mission to help others cope with similar situations.
Dr Mehta, along with her brother, set up Nina Foundation 13 years ago to work for the rehabilitation of economically and socially disadvantaged people with spinal injury. Dr Mehta is a multifaceted personality – she is an educationist, editor, author, speaker, mentor and consultant.Speaking on the occasion Dr Mehta said, “She has been working and helping several people to come to terms with life after a spinal injury. I counselled one young boy after his fatal accident but he was reluctant to accept his condition and come to terms with his condition. That time his mother told him to look at Ketna, who being a woman is doing so much of work and you, despite being a mard (male), is not moving ahead with the life. That time I realized the power and potential of being a woman.”
Dr Mehta has been associated with several management institutes as a Professor and Guide for B-school students over the past 24 years. She is the Editor and Associate Dean of Research at WE School, Mumbai since 2003. She received the NCPDEP – Shell Helen Keller Award in 2002 and her PhD thesis titled “Market Potential Study for a world class Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre in Mumbai” won a Rotary International Award.
“On 5th March, we received a place and community hall in Mumbai suburb, where poor patients would be treated by world class doctors. As per WHO, spinal injury is the most devastating injury and therefore we want to help as many people as we can,” Dr Mehta added.
