Patna: Retired Bihar Administrative Service officer Anand Bihari Prasad remembered his mother's words at a programme aimed at empowering underprivileged children here on Wednesday.

Prasad's NGO Abhilasha Jyoti, formed soon after his daughter's death following a prolonged illness in 1995, has been engaged in children's welfare and social work for the past 23 years. It renders additional financial and educational support to the children in need by partnering with several organisations working for the girl child's empowerment.

About 100 adolescent homeless and orphaned girls from Nishant, Nayi Dharti, Asha Deep and Nari Gunjan participated in the programme and put up dance and singing performances. Khuli ankho ke sapne - a book chronicling the dreams of girl children - was launched, and the girls awarded with Abhilasha Smriti award for contribution to environment protection and disseminating hygienic health practices.

Prasad, from Gopalganj district, revealed that his mother late Jagroshni Devi's teaching - to not worry about self but worry for people - is his primary source of inspiration.

"Some painful and instructive incidents set the course of lives," said Prasad, a 1983-batch officer who retired in 2013 as additional secretary in the general administration department.

"Support given to the downtrodden matters and belonging to a certain institution don't. Even a single honest effort can transform lives," he said. "Since 1986, I donated one-third of my salary for social causes. After retirement, other people have supported the initiative and our social involvement has increased. My family, especially my wife Jyoti Srivastava, ha provided immense support to give my social engagements wings."

Among the guests present at the programme were Sunil Kumar, director of the social welfare department, retired IAS officer Shyam Ji Sahay, social worker Sudha Varghese, Bihar Industries Association president KPS Keshri and retired IPS officer D.N. Gupta.