Co-Founder, Pratham Education Foundation Director, Pratham Council for Vulnerable Children
Farida Lambay is a pioneering educationist and social activist with over four decades of dedicated service to children and marginalized communities. A Master’s in Social Work from Nirmala Niketan and former Vice Principal of the college, she co-founded Pratham in 1995, transforming it from a Mumbai-based initiative into one of India’s largest education movements. Recognizing that children need protection and inclusion beyond education, Farida spearheaded and continues to mentor the Pratham Council for Vulnerable Children (PCVC) on child rights, child labour prevention, and protection systems across India, while also guiding efforts in Inclusive Education to ensure children with special needs are part of mainstream classrooms.
Early on in her career, she also initiated the Municipal School Project, integrating social workers into the Municipal Corporation system, an achievement that reflected her philosophy of transforming best practices into policy through government collaboration. Her leadership has shaped national policies and earned her several accolades, including the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace (2021) and the FICCI FLO Trailblazer Award (2023).
