Ms. Nelly Prichard Receives NFB Shrest Manav Seva Samman in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Ms. Nelly Prichard, a distinguished social activist and humanitarian, was awarded the prestigious NFB Shrest Manav Seva Samman in Bengaluru on January 5, 2026. The award recognizes her exceptional service spanning over 25 years to persons with disabilities and the visually challenged. The ceremony took place during the 21st Annual Day of the National Federation of the Blind, Karnataka (NFB), coinciding with the 217th Anniversary of Louis Braille’s birth, the celebrated inventor of the Braille system.
The event was held at the Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (KASSIA) Auditorium in Vijayanagar, Bengaluru. Ms. Prichard was honored for her unwavering commitment, profound compassion, and lifelong dedication to empowering individuals with visual and physical challenges. Her work encompasses a wide range of initiatives, campaigns, and grassroots-level interventions aimed at improving the lives of those she serves.
Shri D. Sudhakar, Hon’ble Minister for Planning, Programme Monitoring and Statistics, Government of Karnataka, graced the occasion as Chief Guest. Dr. C. N. Manjunath, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha Constituency, and former Director of the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, presided over the ceremony.
Distinguished Guests of Honour included:
- Shri Manoj Jain, IAS, Hon’ble Secretary, Planning, Programme Monitoring and Statistics Department, Government of Karnataka
- Shri S. Govindraj, Hon’ble Commissioner, Office of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Government of India, New Delhi
- Ms. Meghana K. T., IIS, Assistant Director, Doordarshan, Bengaluru
- Dr. Ashok, Hon’ble Director, Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and Senior Citizens, Government of Karnataka
- Shri B. R. Ganesh Rao, President, KASSIA, Bengaluru
- Shri Somashekar Mural, Director, Rotary South Zone, India
- Dr. Dasharath N., Principal, University Law College, Bengaluru University
Ms. Prichard, born Nelly Mendonca in Neerude Parish, Mangaluru, cultivated a deep-seated desire to serve society from an early age. After moving to Bengaluru, she actively engaged in community work, prayer groups, and various social initiatives. Over the years, she has become a highly respected and compassionate social activist, particularly recognized for her tireless dedication to the visually and physically challenged.
Ms. Prichard credits her mission to serve the marginalized to divine blessings and her strong involvement in prayer groups, which inspired her lifelong commitment to assisting the blind and differently abled. She is widely admired for her nurturing care of orphans, abandoned individuals, and the most vulnerable members of society.
Throughout her career, she has collaborated with numerous associations, organizations, and trusts focused on the welfare of the visually and physically challenged. In her voluntary capacity, she played a crucial role, with the support of the Jaya Karnataka Organization, in the Endosulfan Mission in Coastal Karnataka, where over 2,500 patients were identified and provided with essential healthcare support.
For more than 11 years, as a trustee and active member of the Good Samaritan Foundation, Ms. Prichard has supported patients suffering from bedsores and chronic wounds. Her dedicated outreach to bedridden patients during the COVID-19 pandemic was especially noteworthy and received widespread appreciation.
Additionally, she served as a Coordinator for The Dhyana Jyothi Trust, a charitable organization managed by Carmelite priests in Bengaluru. This organization focuses on providing scholarships and educational assistance to children of visually impaired parents, enabling them to pursue their education with dignity and hope.
Ms. Prichard continues to provide educational support to children from visually and physically challenged families, relying on the generosity of donors and volunteers. She also provides voluntary service to old-age homes, homes for blind children, rehabilitation centres, and patients undergoing spinal cord injury rehabilitation.
Ms. Prichard consistently acknowledges the unwavering support of her family and children as her greatest strength in all her social service endeavors.
The NFB Shrest Manav Seva Samman conferred upon Ms. Nelly Prichard is a well-deserved tribute to her selfless service, profound compassion, and lifelong dedication to humanity.
