Pioneer in Women and Children’s Health

MY IMPACT

Megha Desai, President of the Desai Foundation, is dedicated to empowering women and children through community development to elevate health, livelihood, and menstrual equity. She collaborates closely with her team on the ground in villages throughout India to offer healthcare services, including vision, gynecology, hygiene, gynecology, health check-ups and screenings, and more. Moreover, the Desai Foundation has trained women on how to produce retail-quality pads and worked to bring access to menstrual equity for all women in India via a massive menstrual equity awareness program. In addition to this, Megha and her team work tirelessly to systematically break down the stigmas around menstrual health and equity.

MY JOURNEY

Megha grew up in the Boston area, but traveled frequently to India with her family. She shared that her family was never hungry; however, she understood that lots of people around her were. Consequently, in sixth grade, she found a “Walk for Hunger” poster and walked 20 miles to raise funds for hungry people in her state. She felt a need to give back because she was aware of her privilege. Upon growing to adulthood, she started her career in corporate advertising, but felt a disconnect because she longed to make a social impact for the underprivileged. Although she is grateful for the corporate experience and the skills it taught her, she decided to shift roles and become the Director, then the President of the Desai Foundation. She shared that her reason to wake up every morning are the women and girls that she is now serving and helping gain access to healthcare throughout India.

One key lesson that she would like to share for aspiring social impact pioneers is to listen to your gut, especially on big business decisions and business relationships. Moreover, she stated that “you are always going to be a product of your relationships but know the difference between a professional one and a personal one.” Lastly, she recommends keeping creative hobbies with oneself forever because these creative outlets are what refresh our beings and make us better servant leaders.

In the next generation of people making an impact, Megha is inspired by Olivia Watkins, Co-Founder and CEO at Black Farmer Fund. For the past seven years, she has financed, developed, and operated environmental and social projects across the USA. Her mission is to nurture black community wealth and health by investing in black agricultural systems in the Northeast region of the USA.