Bengaluru: Social worker and community leader Veena Prakash Singh has been selected for the ‘Service Beyond Self’ honour at the Abhaya Bravery Award 2026 – Season 2, in recognition of her lifelong commitment to social service, community development, and women empowerment.
The award ceremony will be held on Friday, March 6, 2026, from 5.00 pm onwards at the Alliance Française de Bangalore Auditorium, in association with the Bangalore Sports Lovers Association and Team Abhaya.
A legacy rooted in community service
Veena Prakash Singh comes from a family deeply rooted in public service. Her parents migrated from the coastal region of Andhra Pradesh to Hyderabad in the 1950s. Her father, the first educated member of his farming family, later retired from the Income Tax Department and went on to register an NGO in 1964, which focused on empowering the Muslim community through education, skill development, healthcare, and housing initiatives.
Her mother served as the correspondent of two schools, reinforcing the family’s belief that service to the needy is service to God. Veena is the youngest among five sisters and three brothers, with all her sisters having served as teachers, professors, and principals.
One of her elder sisters, who later became the President of the Andhra Pradesh Destitute Welfare Organisation—founded by their father—passed away in January 2025. Following this, Veena has taken up the responsibility of leading the organisation and carrying forward the family’s decades-long mission of social upliftment.
Education and professional journey
Veena holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism and had also attempted the civil services examination in the past. While she did not clear the examination, the experience strengthened her resolve to work directly at the grassroots level.
She is currently the Founder of VKS Sharanya Welfare Society, working on education, health, and livelihood initiatives. She is also the Co-founder of ‘Alpona’, a handicrafts enterprise engaged in the manufacture of handloom clothing, terracotta jewellery, and bamboo and wood-based decorative products, aimed at supporting artisans and women entrepreneurs.
In addition, she runs VKS Creative Skill Academy, a training and placement institute focused on building employable skills among youth and women.
Inspiration and vision for the future
Veena credits her parents and her late sister as her greatest inspirations, while acknowledging the unwavering support of her husband in her social initiatives.
If given further institutional and community support, she plans to develop the areas where her parents first began their service work into a hub for entrepreneurship development, particularly for women. Her vision is to enable women to achieve financial independence through their own skills, rather than dependency.
Among her most cherished dreams is the establishment of a senior citizens’ home along with a 10-bed clinic, providing dignified care and healthcare access to the elderly.
Recognising a life of quiet leadership
The ‘Service Beyond Self’ honour recognises Veena Prakash Singh’s unwavering dedication to continuing a multigenerational legacy of service, while adapting it to contemporary needs through education, entrepreneurship, and women-led development.
