01/02/2026
He sat with us. He listened to us. He ate with us.”For many women in our community, this visit was not just another official tour.
When Mr. Tripathi visited Setu centers across Aurangabad, Parbhani, Jalna, and Hingoli during a five‑day tour in January, the visit was not marked by novelty, but by reaffirmation. For women engaged in s*x work and their children, his presence carried meaning precisely because it was familiar.
Mr. Tripathi has consistently chosen proximity over distance.
He sits with the women.
He listens without haste.
He shares meals with them and their children—not as a symbolic gesture, but as an ongoing practice.
This visit continued that ethic.
Across centres, Mr. Tripathi engaged with women on issues of health, livelihood, stigma, and long‑term security. Conversations moved beyond services and schemes to deeper questions of dignity, autonomy, and what it truly means to build sustainable futures for families that have long been pushed to the margins.
The visit coincided with an evaluation visit by the Maharashtra State AIDS Control Society (MSACS). During interactions with the evaluation team, Mr. Tripathi articulated Setu’s approach clearly: that effective social work is not transactional, but relational, rooted in trust, consistency, and respect. The team observed not only systems and outcomes, but the quality of human connection embedded in Setu’s work. MSACS members expressed deep appreciation for the visible impact, noting that despite visiting many locations across the country, they had rarely witnessed such a human‑centred and emotionally inclusive approach.
Perhaps the most telling moments were the simplest ones. Women spoke freely. Children moved comfortably. There was no performance, no distance to bridge—only familiarity grounded in mutual respect. For women who have lived for years within layers of stigma and social distance, something quietly shifted. Many cried—not out of sadness, but relief. “For once,” one young woman said softly, “we were not treated as lesser.”
What was equally moving was that members of the evaluation team were themselves brought to tears by what they witnessed.
Through healthcare access, education scholarships, child‑care support, livelihood initiatives, and community‑led programs such as Women for Trees, Setu today works with over 4,000 women and their children across these districts. Mr. Tripathi’s leadership shapes this work not through directive authority, but through ethical presence.
As part of Setu’s child‑focused interventions, school‑going children of s*x workers were enrolled under the government’s Child Care Scheme, through which a monthly scholarship of ₹2,250 per child has been initiated. This support has reduced financial stress on families and strengthened children’s access to education. The gratitude and emotional response of the mothers reflected how small, consistent systems of support can change generational outcomes.
Mr. Tripathi’s message—repeated through action rather than words—remains clear:
progress is possible only when people are not spoken about but spoken with.
At Setu, this visit reaffirmed a simple truth: dignity, when practiced consistently, becomes transformative. And each of them believe, at their core when he says - “I am always with you. I will always work for you.”
