A social worker and a businesswoman, Alka has been volunteering her time for the welfare of children with intellectual impairments.

Alka Jayesh Shah is a social worker and the co-founder of the "Nikhil Madrasi Marriage Bureau" from Surat. She has been providing her services to the community for the past eight years. It’s been two years since she got herself associated with the Nikhil Madrasi Marriage Bureau.

Describing her journey, Alka says she once visited the mentally challenged children's school and found ultimate happiness in serving these kids. From that day on, she decided to work for the welfare of these mentally challenged children.

Remembering her initial days, Alka says she hails from a small village in Punjab, where she spent all her childhood. She didn't have many facilities or exposure to grow and develop herself. However, she was very active in many extracurricular activities at her local college, she used to take part in and win many of the drama and other competitions. When she got married and moved to Mumbai, it was a big challenge for her in adjusting herself to the metropolis's life. Her family and friends supported her a lot in that.

Speaking about her challenges, Alka says the major challenge she faced was moving from Mumbai to Surat. She was a bit skeptical about the life and people of Surat, but the city has accepted her with warmth and love. In Mumbai, she was very active in her community, and after she was elected president of the organization, she continued her social work, devoting herself to the welfare of her community and less privileged people, especially children.

When asked about her mistakes, Alka says earlier she used to trust anyone easily and disclose her future plans to them. But now, she has learned her lesson and  trusts people who really are her well-wishers.

Speaking about her achievements, Alka says now the people of Surat have started recognizing her and her efforts in the field of social work. She has conducted many  "sammelans" for people under the banner of her marriage bureau. She feels accomplished when people appreciate her efforts and contributions.

When asked about her role models, Alka says she considers Amisha Vora, the famous equity expert and MD of PL Group as her role model. She is very much influenced by the personality and knowledge of Amisha Vora.

To reduce her stress and to keep herself calm, Alka seeks the company of her family and the specially abled children.