Sanjay Sahni
Founder, Samaj Parivartan Shakti Sangathan
Bihar
15 years ago, while teaching himself how to use the internet, Sanjay Sahni accidentally uncovered large-scale corruption in his village in Bihar. He hasn't stopped cleaning up the system since.
Sanjay Sahni
's story
In 2011, while working as an electrician in Delhi, Sanjay went online to learn how to use the internet. He googled his village and found records claiming hundreds had received wages from a government jobs programme. He called to check – not one person had got the money. He printed the evidence, went home to Muzaffarpur, and walked into the district office.
The work that
Sanjay Sahni
puts in
That was just the beginning. Over the last decade and a half, Sanjay has used public data to expose corruption, organise the community around it, and pressure local authorities until they deliver government services and benefits the community is owed. What started with recovering stolen wages has now expanded into securing rights for healthcare and education.
Impact of the work
Sanjay estimates his work over 15 years has helped 16,000 people unlock government benefits, including access to schooling, and healthcare. Most recently: 6,000 workers won back employment after a new law left them without work overnight, 250 children of migrant workers returned to school, and 4 migrant workers diagnosed with cancer received treatment.
What your funds will unlock
Sanjay currently works across 8 blocks of Muzaffarpur. Your support will help him double his reach over time across all 16 blocks of the district. He also wants to expand his work on children’s education and health access for migrant workers.
Sanjay ensures the local government actually works for those it is meant to serve. Will you back him to scale his impact?
Testimonials
“DM office ke paas MNREGA ke niymon mein badlaav aur kaam ko lekar protest jaari hai — yeh ladaai Sanjay ji ki wajah se mumkin hui."
"Itna bada risk lekar koi kaam nahi karna chahta — har ek vyakti ko rojgaar mile, yahi unka lakshya hai….Ham sabhi milkar roji-rozgaar ke haq ke liye ladte rehte hain — voh hamesha saath khade rehte hain."
References
"His work grew from a single problem to working on a wider set of issues for mazdoors across surrounding villages and blocks — watching his work grow has been remarkable. His lived experiences of precarity as a migrant worker, and the threats and harassment that he has faced as he raises public issues has drawn people to him."
