I am Dr. Aruna Mavji Varsani, a multi-award-winning transformational leader, educationist, social entrepreneur, and humanitarian. My life’s purpose has been guided by a deep commitment to uplifting vulnerable communities, particularly girls, women, and marginalized groups, through education, empowerment, sustainability, and advocacy. With nearly two decades of diverse experience across Kenya and India, I have dedicated myself to creating sustainable solutions that inspire hope, dignity, and opportunity.
I am deeply passionate about menstrual equity and the rights of women and girls. Over the years, I have travelled across many counties in Kenya, reaching even the most remote grassroots communities, to provide reusable sanitary products and much-needed menstrual health education. My mission has been to break the silence and stigma around menstruation by educating not only girls but also boys, teachers, and entire communities. I have also worked tirelessly to link vulnerable girls with potential sponsors, ensuring that their education is not interrupted due to period poverty. My advocacy has extended into policy spaces, where I amplify these issues to influence change at the structural level.
To give my work a formal home, I founded the Together for Better Foundation, an organization that has grown into a beacon of hope for many. Through the Foundation, we address broad community development challenges in health, education, climate change resilience, and women’s empowerment. Our work spans Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, and at the centre of it all is a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The Foundation addresses the full spectrum of period equity challenges, from stigma and shame to the lack of safe and supportive learning environments. We provide reusable sanitary products that are handmade by local women, creating not just dignity for schoolgirls but also livelihoods for women in the community. Through these efforts, we have supported thousands of children with bursaries and scholarships, mentored young people with life skills, prevented early pregnancies, FGM, and forced marriages, and fostered peace in communities through dialogue and mediation.
My professional background is deeply rooted in education development. After years of teaching and professional training, I established Montessori plus Centre Kindergarten in 2014 and Montessori Plus Centre College in 2015 in Kenya. These two institutions have become centres of excellence in early childhood and higher education, nurturing students and building future leaders. I built them with the vision of not only advancing quality education but also creating a sustainable model where successful business ventures can finance social impact programs.
This model has allowed me to leverage my entrepreneurial success to support my philanthropic mission. By creating robust financial, administrative, and operational systems, I have ensured that the Together for Better Foundation remains sustainable and impactful. I believe in self-sufficiency, and I take pride in having built a system where my businesses serve as engines that fuel community development.
My work has always relied on strong partnerships and collaborations. I have engaged governments, corporate organizations, NGOs, and local stakeholders to strengthen the Foundation’s impact. I am particularly proud that I have influenced corporate entities, such as banks and private companies, to adopt menstrual equity promotion within their corporate social responsibility strategies. Through these alliances, I have amplified the reach of our work and ensured that collective action drives greater change.
I consider my journey as one that directly contributes to Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those focusing on ending poverty and hunger, ensuring good health and quality education, achieving gender equality, reducing inequalities, and building peaceful and just societies.
My own journey began in India, where I was born and raised. I later made Kenya my home, and it is here that I have dedicated the majority of my professional and humanitarian efforts. Along the way, I have pursued continuous education, earning professional teaching certification at Monash University and the American Montessori Institute (AMI), English certification from the British Council and Cambridge, and executive training in diverse fields such as sustainability, women’s rights, and autism.
My professional path has been varied and enriching. I started in administration and training, working at Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj Charitable Medical Trust, MicroAge Ltd, and later as Executive Director at Ukay Centre Forex Bureau Ltd. These experiences shaped my skills in management, teaching, stakeholder engagement, and conflict resolution. But it was my transition into entrepreneurship in 2014 that allowed me to fully align my passion for education with my vision for community transformation.
Growing up in India and later living in Kenya exposed me to the harsh realities faced by girls and women, from systemic patriarchy to economic disparities and lack of information, particularly around menstrual health. These experiences inspired me to blend entrepreneurship with service, to create not just opportunities for myself, but platforms for others to thrive.
Today, I stand as a proud advocate against gender-based violence and as a voice for women’s empowerment. Through my work, I strive to create safe spaces where women and girls can flourish and where entire communities can enjoy peace and progress. My desire has always been to show that when women and girls are empowered, society as a whole advances.
In all I do, I see myself not just as an educationist, entrepreneur, or leader, but as a catalyst for transformational change. My vision is to continue expanding the impact of my initiatives, strengthening partnerships, and building sustainable systems that will ensure future generations inherit a more equitable and resilient world.
