Our Story — Dreams Peace Foundation

The Beginning

How it started

Dreams Peace Foundation was founded by Ankit Bihari and Shiva — two people who saw the same gaps in their communities and decided to do something structured about them. Not a campaign. Not a one-off drive. A foundation.

The early work focused on underserved communities where health awareness was severely limited, where stigma kept things silent, and where women had resources withheld not because they didn't exist, but because no one had created the space to talk about them.

What began as focused community action evolved into Project Chuppi — a grassroots initiative bringing structured sessions and dignity kits to communities that need them. Project Chuppi is one programme under DPF, not the whole of it.

The foundation has since expanded its scope to include child safety and wellbeing programmes, and a livelihood initiative that builds sustainable income pathways for individuals from vulnerable households.

The throughline: working with communities, not for them. Measuring outcomes. Staying accountable.

2019 — Founded

Ankit Bihari and Shiva Kumar establish Dreams Peace Foundation through grassroots community engagement.

Project Chuppi — Active

Menstrual health awareness sessions and dignity kit distribution across underserved communities. Includes men and boys in every session. Phase 2.0 is currently in active fundraising.

Child Safety — Active

Workshops for children, adolescents, and caregivers addressing abuse recognition, emotional wellbeing, and creating safe spaces for dialogue.

Livelihood Program — Active

Skill development and income generation support for economically vulnerable households. Focused on self-reliance over short-term aid.

What Drives Us

Vision & Mission

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Our Vision

To build inclusive communities where women and young people are informed, confident, and empowered to participate fully in social and economic life.

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Our Mission

To uplift communities through grassroots action in menstrual health awareness, women's livelihoods, and environmental sustainability — through interventions that are measurable, accountable, and aligned with national development priorities.

The Founders

How we got here

Ankit Bihari Co-Founder

"It wasn't a lack of resources. It was a complete absence of correct knowledge."

During a street play in Bahraich, I asked an elderly woman a simple question: what do you use during menstruation? Her answer stopped me cold. Sand packed into plastic. Old cloth, reused without hygiene. As the conversation opened up, more taboos surfaced — deep-rooted, unquestioned, and dangerous.

Then I asked: "What is a condom used for?" She told me it stops menstruation.

In that moment it became clear — awareness had not reached the last mile. What started as an urge to tell these stories evolved into a mission: create the spaces, the conversations, and the interventions that break silence at the grassroots level. That is how Project Chuppi began.

Shiva Kumar Co-Founder

"Sometimes, all it takes is one voice to break the silence."

In a crowded slum on the edge of the city, Shiva found children who had dropped out of school — not by choice, but by circumstance. Among them was Meenu (name changed), a quiet 12-year-old carrying a hidden fear she couldn't name. Silence was the norm. People were afraid, unaware, and helpless.

Shiva stayed. He gathered children for informal classes near a local park — teaching not just reading and writing, but rights: the right to education, to safety, to say no. He went door to door. Slowly, the community started to listen.

One day, Meenu found the courage to speak. Action was taken. It was the first time anyone in that slum had seen justice respond. More children returned to learning. Fear gave way to awareness. Shiva went on to launch Citizen Voice and Action — a programme that reshaped how the community understood their own power.

The People

Our Team

Ankit Bihari

Co-Founder

Strategy, programme design, and partnerships. Ankit leads the foundation's vision and builds the community and institutional relationships that sustain the work.

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Shiva Kumar

Co-Founder

Community engagement and operations. Shiva drives on-field execution, volunteer coordination, and session delivery across all programmes.

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Ritika Chowdhery

Executive Director

Governance, programme management, and organisational direction. Ritika ensures DPF's operations run with rigour and accountability.

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Divyanshu Rai

Strategy Advisor

Programme execution, coordination, and strategic planning. Divyanshu brings analytical depth to how DPF designs and evaluates its community interventions.

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Founded on the belief
that change begins
with a conversation.

How it started