Our Founder

Devendra Kumar, a young self-made social reformer, was born in a high crime-prone slum where his parents abandoned him at the age of 2 years with his 3-dayinfant sister. Grown amidst poverty, at the age of 8, he started working as a child laborer. During his balloon-selling, he was snatched & brutally beaten by a group of delinquents & drug addicts. Many mishaps & miseries at a very young age coerced him to find a safe space for him which encouraged him to join a volunteering group with Indian Red Cross & St. John Ambulance, In 2010 his struggle to save his sister from child marriage and dowry by surviving amidst vulnerability motivated him to work for most vulnerable population for which he established the “Ladli Foundation.”

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He has been honoured with two national award by the Government of India and has been praised by four successive Presidents of India late Sh. APJ Abdul Kalam, Late. Sh. Pranab Mukharjee, Sh. Ram Nath Kovind & Smt. Draupadi Murmu, respectively.

Presently he is working to address most pressing social issues for the advancement of Hon’ble Prime Minister’ Initiatives for sustainable development in India by managing the force of over 1 Lac Youth Interns & Volunteers through his innovative Social Internship Program.

Under his visionary leadership and successful community engagement, Devendra has made a profound impact, positively affecting over 2.5 million direct beneficiaries. Notably, his exceptional contributions encompass providing digital education access to more than 157,000 marginalized students, resulting in a significant impact valued at approximately INR 600 Crore (equivalent to 75 million USD). Remarkably, all these achievements have been realized independently, without relying on external financial assistance or grants. Additionally, as the Exclusive NGO Partner of the Government of Delhi, the organization is actively implementing its innovative solutions to combat malnutrition among 800,000 marginalized students, forging a sustainable path towards positive change.

In 2019, His contribution to the welfare of the lower section of society was commended by the Union Ministry of Social Justice, Government of India and nominated him for the prestigious Padma Shri Award 2020 (4th Highest Civilian Award of India). His grassroots-level initiatives assisted in the liberation of thousands of women and young girls from sexual abuse and exploitation and subsequently empowered them to become self-reliant, for which he was titled as “True Hero” by Mr. Amitabh Bachchan

In 2017, His most significant gender sensitization initiative for gathering twenty thousand of male populations in Run for Laadli Half Marathon at JLN Stadium, Delhi to uphold the idea of Gender Equality was witnessed and deeply praised by the union Home minister, Social Justice Minister & Numbers of International Diplomats and Notable Dignitaries & Govt. Officials.

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His 23 years continuous actions and innovative initiatives for empowering the oppressed and disadvantaged has also drawn attention on a global scale at the United Nations, where His suggestions have been published twice in high-level political forums of the United Nations. Also In the Preliminary session of the 65th Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations on March 15, 2021, The UN Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, praised his work and well acknowledged his influential advocacy for prioritizing women's health and effective efforts to prevent child marriage in developing countries

Devendra is an emerging global leader, notable speaker and policy analyst, boasts extensive expertise in international relations and development sector. He is also the founder of the South and East Asia Foundation in India and Ladli Foundation USA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the United States, serving as an international think tank has successfully orchestrated prestigious conferences like INDIA & BRICS, INDO-US SUMMIT, INDO-CHINA SUMMIT, CLIMATE CONCLAVE, and NATIONAL DEMOCRACY SUMMIT, uniting global leaders, diplomats, and policymakers to address India's challenges. Beyond diplomacy, Devendra is committed to gender- sensitive societal reform, fostering a network of change-makers dedicated to advancing gender equality.

His words of wisdom ,"Society is like a Canvas, It's you who need to paint it beautifully" serves as the driving force behind his transformative leadership initiatives aimed at creating a more inclusive world.

"A society is like a canvas,
It's you who needs to paint it beautifully."

- Devendra Kumar