Bomb blast survivor to Kashmir's Arifa: 7 women who took over PM's Twitter

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday handed over his social media accounts to seven women achievers who shared their life journeys and interacted with his followers to mark the International Women's Day.

Extending his greetings, Prime Minister Modi said that he is signing off from his social media accounts as seven women achievers will share their life journeys under #SheInspiresUs campaign.

Sneha Mohandoss: Battling starvation for a hunger-free planet
 

The first woman was Sneha Mohandoss, the founder of Food Bank India, who shared her journey and urged people to feed a needy person and contribute towards a hunger-free planet. Introducing herself, Sneha said that she was inspired by her mother, who instilled the habit of feeding the homeless. 

The Food Bank India founder works with volunteers, both in India and abroad, to work towards eradicating hunger. With the help of her team, she has also initiated breastfeeding awareness drives. "I work with volunteers, many of whom are outside India, to eradicate hunger. We have over 20 chapters and have impacted several people with our work. We also initiated activities like mass cooking, cooking marathons, breastfeeding awareness drives," she said.

Malvika Iyer: Surviving the odds

The second woman achiever, bomb-blast survivor Malvika Iyer, handling PM Modi's social media account tweeted a message of courage - "How we survive our challenges matters the most." 

"Acceptance is the greatest reward we can give ourselves. We can't control our lives but we surely can control our attitude towards life. At the end of the day, it is how we survive our challenges that matters the most. Know more about me and my work -- @MalvikaIyer #SheInspiresUs," she tweeted from Modi's account.
 

Iyer survived a bomb blast when she was just 13. But that didn't deter her from pursuing her dreams. Calling education 'indispensable', she also urged to sensitise young minds so that they don't discriminate. Having gone through discrimination herself, Iyer said: "We need to show people with disabilities as role models instead of showing them as weak and dependent."

Arifa Jan: Reviving J&K's dying art 

After Iyer, Arifa Jan shared her journey of reviving the dying crafts of Jammu and Kashmir. She explained how she took up the daunting task to revive the once-famed handicraft 'Namda', the traditional embroidered rug which has lost its sheen over the years. "I always dreamt of reviving the traditional crafts of Kashmir because this is a means to empower local women.  I saw the condition of women artisans and so I began working to revise Namda craft," she tweeted from Modi's handle. 

Kalpana Ramesh: Advocating water management

Kalpana Ramesh was the fourth woman to handle the prime minister's Twitter handle. "I never imagined I could bring back birds to a lake or tweet from our PMs handle. With a firm resolve, the impossible can emerge. We can bring a change in the communities with collective action on how we manage water resources. Let us become problem solvers," Kalpana tweeted from Modi's handle. She further added, "Water is a valuable inheritance we got. Let's not deprive our next generations. Contribute by using water responsibly, harvesting rainwater, saving lakes, recycling used water and creating awareness." She advocates sustainable homes and derives inspiration from her mother. 
 

Vijaya Pawar: Giving life to Banjara handicraft

The prime minister handed over his social media account to Vijaya Pawar, a handicraft artisan from Maharashtra in the afternoon who said, "You have heard about handicrafts from different parts of India. My fellow Indians, I present to you handicrafts of the Banjara community in rural Maharashtra. I have been working on this for the last 2 decades and have been assisted by a thousand more women."

Pawar thanked the prime minister for providing financial assistance and said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only encouraged us to promote Gormati but also provided financial assistance. It is a matter of glory for us. I am completely dedicated to the protection of this art and I feel honored to have this occasion on Women's Day."

Kalawati Devi: Ensuring cleanliness all around

Kalawati Devi, who hails from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh rallied people towards cleanliness and help build community toilets. She said, "Everywhere I lived, there was dirtiness. But there was also a strong belief that through cleanliness we can change this situation. I Decided to convince people to build toilets and collected money. Hygiene is essential for staying healthy. For this, it took some time to make people aware. But I knew that if people understood then the work would go ahead. My ambition was fulfilled, my attempt at cleanliness was successful. We have succeeded in building thousands of toilets. 

Veena Devi: Empowering women in farming

Veena Devi became an inspiration for many after she began farming and empowering women in Bihar. Hailing from Munger district, she began Mushroom farming in her house under her bed. taking over the prime minister's Twitter handle she said, "Today women are not far behind in any field. If the woman's power of the country is determined, then she can start her journey from her bedroom. Due to this farming, I got respect. I became a sarpanch. It is a pleasure for me that many women like myself are getting the opportunity to train." 
 

Veena urged the women of the country to go out and take risks saying, "Today the women of Munger are presenting an example to the whole country. From farming at home to selling the produce in the haat, the whole task is carried on our shoulders. That's why I will tell all the women of the country - go out, work and then see how good it feels." 

The Prime Minister had announced that on women's day this year, he will give away his social media accounts to women whose life and work inspires people to help them ignite motivation in millions. He had said that stories of such women can be shared using #SheInspiresUs.