March 7, 2026 was a memorable day in the life of Manjulaben. This tribal woman from Amdha village in Valsad district of South Gujarat, hailed as “Doctorben” by the local community, was felicitated at the mega Women’s Day celebration held at Kakadkopar village in Nanapondha taluka of South Gujarat. She narrated her story with emotion and conviction at the felicitation ceremony resulting in many a woman shedding tears of joy at her success and deriving inspiration from her story. Her travel by aeroplane for the first time in her life all the way to Delhi to receive an award and to share her story at a national event, was another turning point in her life. Starting out as a daily wage labourer and earning ₹2,500 – ₹3,000 per month, destiny had other plans for her. She was motivated by the BAIF field team to take up nature cure as a profession. She was encouraged to attend an intensive training in naturopathy at the Nature Cure Ashram at Uruli Kanchan, Pune which empowered her with necessary skills in nature cure and types of treatment.
Today, Manjulaben is operating three healthcare centres which treats 800-900 patients annually. She is also the proud owner of a kitchen garden with medicinal herbs which is playing a major role in conservation of rare and precious medicinal plants and their use as remedies for providing relief to those suffering from paralysis, arthritis, diabetes, and women’s health issues. She proudly reveals the fact that her monthly income today is ₹70,000! She has treated more than 11,200 patients so far and has generated sustainable livelihood for 20 to 25 women of her community. Educated upto the 8th standard, Manjulaben is not lacking in anything. A proud owner of a motor car, she is often seen driving a car in her neighbourhood with confidence! She receives complete support from her family and especially from her son and his wife who assist her in her practice. She now nurtures a dream of visiting her son who works as a carpenter in Dubai. May her dream be fulfilled and may her tribe increase!
