A girl from the tribal-dominated area in Malkangiri district made it to the 2024 Forbes India W-Power list and has been featured among India’s top 23 self-made women.
Jayanti Buruda has brought glory to her district as well as to the state.
Buruda’s journey from Malkangiri to Forbes was not an easy one. It started with a humble beginning. Along the way, she has faced many obstacles and hindrances. But those couldn’t deter her from accomplishing her targeted goal. Six years ago, she founded Bada Didi Union, a movement to create awareness about menstruation hygiene. She would reach out to menstruating girls and women in inaccessible areas and sensitise them about their monthly cycle. Besides supplying sanitary pads to them, she would create awareness among them on the importance of maintaining hygiene.
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Buruda, a journalist, added another feather to her cap in 2023 by starting the Jungle Rani initiative, a social media platform where women publish adivasi stories. Her other achievement is that she is the only person in the district to receive the NWMI Fellowship for Women Journalists.
Buruda has been featured in the Forbes illustrious list which includes former MD of World Bank Anshula Kant, cricketer Deepti Sharma, Myntra’s CEO Nandita Sinha, chess grandmaster R Vaishali, and actress Kriti Sanon among others.