Our Story

Vithi means pathways.

How Vithi Began

How Vithi started

Krish Raj and Priyaswara Bharti had worked with young people since 2018 through Bihar Youth for Child Rights, on youth leadership and participation. After several years of that, the three of us decided to register what we were already doing. Vithi Foundation was registered on 27 January 2025 by Krish Raj, Shakila Khatoon and Priyaswara Bharti.

Vithi means pathways. We want to create pathways for women, young people and communities, towards dignity, opportunities, leadership and a more sustainable future.

Why we chose the nameVithi Foundation
The Vithi Foundation team at the organisation's first anniversary

The team at Vithi's first anniversary, 2026.

Founders & Founding Members

The people who started it

KR

Krish Raj

Co-founder & Director

A filmmaker and social advocate working on education, gender equality and climate action. A US Department of State alumnus, UNDP volunteer and UNFCCC delegate, recognised as a Creative Mind of Tomorrow at IFFI 2023. His documentaries have been acknowledged by the WHO. Committed to reducing plastic use and to sustainable living, his work focuses on amplifying young voices. Core member of Bihar Youth for Child Rights since 2018, and host of the YuWaah LCOY City Consultation in Patna in August 2025.

SK

Shakila Khatoon

Founder & Managing Director

A social worker and community-based researcher from the Muslim Nat community, with a Master's degree in Social Work from Patna University. She has worked in grassroots development since 2016, particularly with slum communities and Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes.

Her work spans education, health, women's empowerment, rights awareness, livelihoods, gender equality, youth development, and the rights and welfare of women engaged in sex work. Bodhi Fellow, Bihar Development Collective.

PB

Priyaswara Bharti

Co-founder

A documentary filmmaker and youth advocate. She founded Bihar Youth for Child Rights, reaching over 20,000 young people through advocacy and skill-building. An Ashoka Young Changemaker, a member of UNICEF's GenU Global Young People's Action Team 2024, and part of IFFI's 75 Young Creative Minds 2021. Her documentaries address gender, education and climate, and have been recognised at film festivals. Bodhi Fellow, Bihar Development Collective.

N

Nandani

Founding Member

A social worker from Darbhanga, Bihar. Alongside her work at Vithi she is part of Environment Warriors, working on sparrow conservation, and a member of YuWaah's Young People's Action Team at UNICEF India.

Our Journey

What we have done so far

How We Are Growing

Building the organisation

Priyaswara Bharti and Shakila Khatoon hold the Bodhi Fellowship from Bihar Development Collective, which has helped us build the organisation. We are writing our internal systems and policies now, covering finance, procurement, recruitment, travel and safeguarding. It is easier to do this while we are small than to fix it later.

Vithi is still a young organisation

If you want to help shape how it grows, as a partner, mentor, funder or volunteer, we would like to talk.

Get Involved Contact Us