I’ve been to India several times before and usually, I come here to attend family functions and connect with my family again. When I came here in July 2014, on my way to my grandma’s house, I was frustrated at the vast disparity of wealth I witnessed. First I saw big malls, hotels and beautiful bungalows. However, below it all was a tremendous amount of poverty in the slums of India. I was heartbroken and realized how blessed I am for all that I have. From that moment, I got a wakeup call and I needed to bring change to the way these people lived. I had always taken advantage of every little thing that life offered me. My desire to engage in humanitarian efforts led me to work with the Aahana Organization. Their mission is “to abolish ignorance through education of social inequalities and to empower communities in India.” That is exactly why I am here.
From a very young age, I have always been very influenced with media. I can proudly say that I am a social media addict. As Director of Digital Media, I believe that social media and networking is extremely powerful in our generation. Internet is an integral part of everyone’s life and social media and networking has taken over 1/3 of the world. Social Media marketing is one of the best ways to communicate with the rest of the world. My goal is to tell the world to stop ignoring the facts, open your eyes, and join us on our journey towards change. Through the social media platforms, I spread more awareness of how Aahana provides education and empowerment to the communities.
Working with Aahana, I have realized that I can make an impact on others. There has not been one day that I haven’t thought about how to change the gap between societal hierarchies. It is inspirational to hear the hardship the villages have endured and yet the progress the have made. I learned so much about the villages/communities, and feel more grateful for all the opportunities that I have.
I joined Aahana because I believe that the youth are the only ones who can change the world to make it a better place for everyone. Youth have the power to uplift many lives. I once heard from Pandurang Sastri Athavle, a philosopher say “A youth must have can do attitude’ and those words are etched in my mind and heart. By having this “can do” attitude I am willing to do whatever it takes change the development of these societies. I am so proud to be a part of such an amazing organization and assist in the effort to make life better for the villages.