Farhan Israeli/Jaipur

At 14, when she was studying in Class 10, Parveen Khan of Sikar, Rajasthan, suffered burns over more than 70 per cent of her body after her dupatta (scarf) caught fire while she was boiling milk at home. Rushed to Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur in critical condition, she underwent multiple surgeries and endured years of painful treatment, which also disrupted her education.

Lying on a hospital bed and struggling with pain, Parveen could hardly have imagined that this traumatic experience would eventually give her life a new purpose.

During her hospital stay, she saw patients who could not afford even basic medicines and others who had no family members to look after them. These experiences left a deep impression on her. She resolved that once she recovered, she would do whatever she could to help people in distress.

The sewing center of Meher Foundation at Amer

Today, at 30, Parveen runs the Jaipur-based Mehar Foundation, named after her mother, Mehar Khan. Through the organisation, she supports burn survivors, provides food to the needy, offers free sewing training to girls and extends assistance to financially disadvantaged patients.

Recalling her ordeal, Parveen says her treatment lasted three to four years, during which she missed her Class 10 examinations. Surgeries on her hands continued until 2019, and she still has one more surgery to undergo.

During this difficult period, she met a woman who had survived an acid attack and was accompanied only by her elderly mother. She also saw a six-month-old infant whose parents could not afford the medicines prescribed by doctors.

Her father, Ghulam Nabi, would often help such patients by purchasing medicines and medical dressings for them. These experiences made Parveen realise that people battling serious illnesses need more than medical treatment. They also require financial assistance, emotional support and someone to stand by them.

Praveen Khan helping a needy vendor

Her doctor, Dr Vikas Kakkar, also encouraged her to pursue this mission.

In 2013, Parveen married Imran Khan of Jaipur. After her marriage, she resumed her education and completed Class 12. In 2018, she ventured into business. She now trades in gold and silver jewellery through wholesale and retail channels.

Once the business became financially stable, she established the Mehar Foundation. She also named her business ventures Mehar Trading and Mehar Jewellery in honour of her mother. Even her house bears the name Mehar House.

Parveen invests a part of her earnings in charitable activities. Although some associates have contributed to the foundation's work, she has borne most of its expenses herself.

The foundation began on a modest scale. Parveen purchased an old vehicle and approached several restaurant owners in Jaipur to collect surplus cooked food that would otherwise have been discarded despite being safe for consumption.

Parveen Khan and other volunteers at a medical camp

The food was then distributed among patients and their families in hospitals. At times, the foundation provided meals to 30 to 50 people a day. Once a week, its team would also prepare dishes such as dal-chawal (lentils and rice) and kadhi-chawal (yoghurt-based curry and rice) for distribution among the needy.

The foundation's activities expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Parveen says her team arranged meals for around 100 people in the morning and another 100 in the evening for two months. The initiative also brought more volunteers into the organisation.

However, in 2021, Parveen and her family suffered another setback. She and her husband, Imran, were travelling on a two-wheeler when a car hit them.

Imran sustained critical injuries and remained in a coma for about 25 days. Parveen suffered a serious lower-back injury, and doctors feared she might become paralysed.

Both eventually recovered. Parveen attributes their recovery to the blessings of the people they had helped over the years.

Parveen Khan with local children

After recovering, she resumed her social work and established sewing centres for women in Amer. Operating from rented premises, the centres were equipped with 30 sewing machines and an instructor.

According to Parveen, more than 500 girls have received free sewing training through these centres. Efforts were also made to help those wishing to pursue tailoring professionally find work they could do from home. The foundation bore the expenses of the initiative.

Parveen believes that learning a skill can be an important step towards economic independence for girls from underprivileged families. With access to employment opportunities, they can contribute to their household income and improve their family's financial circumstances.

The foundation also reaches out to families in need after receiving information about patients from Sawai Man Singh Hospital and other medical facilities. Its assistance ranges from financial support to emotional counselling, depending on the circumstances.

Parveen says that some families begin to regard a girl as a burden after she suffers burn injuries. In such situations, helping with medical expenses is only part of the task; restoring the survivor's confidence and self-esteem is equally important.

Parveen Khan helping volunteers pack food for patients' relatives

She personally speaks to such girls and offers them emotional support. So far, she has counselled around 12 girls, several of whom continue to remain in touch with her.

The foundation has also organised free medicine distribution camps in Jaipur and awareness programmes to inform people about government welfare schemes. Such camps have been held in areas including Nai Ki Thadi and Murlipura, besides other settlements.

According to Parveen, the organisation has supported the medical treatment of three cancer patients. After their recovery, it helped them establish livelihoods by providing fruit and vegetable carts. It has also assisted several young people in finding jobs with private companies in Jaipur.

An associate based in Maharashtra has contributed approximately Rs 3-4 lakh towards patients' treatment and the purchase of essential supplies. Parveen says the donor prefers to remain anonymous.

Around 250 people from different cities across the country, including Mumbai, Delhi, Gurugram, Ahmedabad and Kolhapur, are associated with the foundation. Parveen is its founder and president, while her husband, Imran Khan, serves as vice-president. Deependra Singh Rao is the secretary and Adil Khan the deputy secretary.

Parveen Khan and volunteers of Meher Foundation during COVID pendamic

In recent months, Parveen has also become increasingly active on social media to spread awareness about her initiatives.

In one Instagram video, she showed idols recovered from roadside garbage, which were subsequently cleaned and placed in a respectful setting. Urging people not to discard old or damaged idols, she emphasised that everyone has personal beliefs and faith that deserve respect.

The video received around 45,000 to 50,000 views. Encouraged by the response, she began sharing the foundation's activities more widely through YouTube, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.

Looking ahead, Parveen hopes to expand the foundation's support for cancer patients. The initiative would be a tribute to two of her cousins who died of cancer at the age of 22.

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From a teenager who spent years fighting for her own recovery to a woman working to ease the suffering of others, Parveen has turned a deeply painful chapter of her life into a continuing mission of compassion and service.