Founder & Chairman

Founder President

SEWA was founded by  late Smt Shanti Gogoi under whose visionary leadership the NGO has grown manifold. Our founder, late Smt. Shanti Gogoi, was a prominent social activist of Assam, and she started the Organization in the year 2000, two years after the death of her husband, the late Keshab Chandra Gogoi, ex Chief Minister of Assam. Smt. Shanti Gogoi was born on 30th August, 1934 to Sri Jogesh Chandra Borgohain and Smt. Padma Kumari Gohain. Her father was a MLC in the late 1930s and her mother – Smt. Padma Kumari Gohain was a cabinet minister in Bimala Prasad Chaliha and Mahendra Choudhary’s cabinet. She was the mother of five children who all rose to various positions in their own spheres. She formed the Socio Educational Welfare Association (SEWA) to facilitate the well being of the community in the light of a better world to live in. She was active as the founding President of SEWA for 16 years, moulding and serving the organisation through her excellent leadership abilities and undertaking numerous initiatives that would ensure better prospects for the organization in the foreseeable future. She was also associated with various social institutions and was an active member and advisor of Mahila Samiti and also acted as president of All Assam Lekhika Samaroh Samiti for a short period. She has also contributed to the literary world by authoring several books and articles. After a brief illness at the age of 87 she breathed her last on 9th April 2021.

Present President

Presently from March 2021, the organization is headed by Smt Nandita Hazarika, a retired Civil Servant of the Government of Assam with over 26 years of experience in different areas relating to governance and public service. She has served in different areas as a Civil servant viz Livelihood sector as the Mission Director of the Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission, Disaster Management as the State Coordinator for disaster management and with the UN Disaster Risk Reduction Project. She worked with the United Nations Development Programme for nearly 10 years on deputation from the Government of Assam. She was also selected as an ITEC expert by the Government of India and was assigned to Mauritius for conducting a Training Needs Assessment (TNA) of the Mauritius Civil Service in Port Louis, Mauritius. Her knowledge and experience of working with the community will help SEWA achieve its vision and mission for an equal and fair society by reducing entrenched social and economic disadvantage.