Suresh Harilal Soni

Suresh Harilal Soni is an Indian Social worker who works for welfare and rehabilitation of leprosy patients, intellectually disabled people.^[1] The Government of India conferred Padma Shri award in 2025 to Soni in recognitions of his Social Works.^[2][3][4]

Suresh completed Masters of Science with a First Class. He did not want to live his life as a Maths teacher. He used to stay with the leprosy affected at Shram Mandir trust for the entire day. In the year 1988, to help and give support to the affected, he founded Sahyog trust.^[5]

He is called Sabarkantha no Sahyojak (Co-founder of Sabarkantha District)^[1]He is helped by his wife Indira Soni in his works.^[6]

Suresh Soni has established a village named ‘Sahyog’, spread over an area of 30 acre near Shamaliya along the highway from Himmatnagar to Shamlaji for people suffering from leprosy. It also provides shelter to Physically handicapped and intellectually disabled people. His organization also serves HIV positive and orphan patients. The collaboration village has now become home to hundreds of people. The village has a hospital, an electoral booth, a primary school, a grocery shop.^{[7] [5]} It also serves HIV positive, physically handicapped and orphan patients. ^[7]

This village is maitained by an organization called Sahyog Kustha Yagya Trust which was established in 1988.^{[7] [6]}

• The Government of India conferred Padma Shri award in 2025^[8][9]