For most, it would be a step back. But for Chhavi Rajawat, leaving behind corporate glamour and city life to head back to her village Soda, 60 km from Jaipur, as its sarpanch has been a journey to her roots. She says she’s paying her debt to the village she grew up in.
Her aim is to make her village 100 percent educated. Chhavi also works at her family home-turned-hotel called Kailrugji and has also set up a horse-riding academy in Jaipur. After becoming the Sarpanch of the village, she has implemented many projects successfully i.e. rain water harvesting, toilets facilities in most of the houses, etc.
Chhavi Rajawat, studied at Rishi Valley School in Andhra Pradesh; Mayo College Girls’ School in Rajasthan and Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi. After her MBA from Pune, she worked for companies such as Times of India, Carlson Group of Hotels, Airtel, etc. Today, she is the Sarpanch (elected head of the Village Council) in Soda village, Tonk district, Rajasthan. She may be the first woman Sarpanch in India with an MBA degree.
Her message for the youth of India:
“Don’t run away from your roots because that is your foundation and the nation’s foundation too. If you want to make a difference, you have got to start at the bottom. There is so much one can do.”
