Rupa Kothari, Trustee of Safe Kids Foundation was recently honoured by Rakesh Maria, IPS, Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, for her continued efforts in the field of child safety and particularly for a special awareness programme on women and child abuse that she undertook for the police department under the banner of ‘Mahila & Shishu Suraksha’.

The Comissioner also unveiled a special coffee table book compiled by Kothari that included posters and paintings used during the campaign and a section on FAQs about the issue. Rupa Kothari is the wife of Sanjay Nanalal Kothari.

Kothari and her Safe Kids Foundation have been creating awareness among school children by developing strategies that would prevent the occurrence of unintentional injuries and a few years ago had conducted a poster and painting competition among Art students on these issues. Thus when the Mumbai Police planned a similar effort under its ‘Mahila & Shishu Suraksha’ programme, they approached Kothari to co-ordinate the campaign.

“When the Nirbhaya and Shakti Mill rape case unfolded before us, it was shocking that human beings could be so utterly cruel to one of their own, it was beyond belief,” says Kothari, adding that the incident also made her more determined to fight injustice in her own small way.

She initiated a painting and poster competition among schools and colleges of Fine Art and received an overwhelming response. The art reflected the raw emotions of children and women of India filled with anger and despair. These posters were later compiled in a coffee table book.