By Jamuna Rangachari
We all see ways of doing good. Some like, Ms Saha, take it forward.
She avers “Growing up, my biggest source of inspiration were my grandparents. I saw both of them always cared for the society without any expectations. They always went beyond their personal limitations to help not only our neighbours but anyone that needed any sort of support. They still remain my biggest inspiration. People always look for inspiration in history and the world, but I believe like everything else, it can begin at home“.
Thinking a little, she continues, “I have always been doing community service in different ways from my childhood. It was one of the main reasons why I took up nursing as a profession as well. However, after I had my 2 children I quit nursing but the community service never stopped. There I worked as part of various organisations and committees where I implemented their thoughts and ideas – somewhere in the back of my head I always wanted to start my own NGO to implement my own ideas“.
Something personal made her go ahead as in 2006, her younger sister and her family had a financial crisis and it was challenging for her to manage her household with 3 young daughters.
As a home maker, she started helping her with whatever support she could provide. Eventually she helped her join nursing and get trained. She completed her course and got a job and was able to provide for her entire family all by herself.
After this I thought this was my sister so I helped her but in the world there are so many such stories and no one to help them reach their potential and provide for themselves and their families.
This was the turning point that made her do something further and in 2008, she registered the NGO Naata Foundation that started working towards upliftment of women from the weaker society with a focus on education.
Having worked in the education sector in the past, she joined a few schools in the slum areas and started working with them to improve the education systems there. Most of her students are from there are now pursuing higher education and/or have really good jobs and still come to visit and support us and their schools.
Over the years, the projects expanded beyond education and upliftment to environment and medical as well with the goal to always make people self sufficient.
The biggest challenge to continue my social work has always been funds. She functions alone mostly and in her team, she has teachers who belong to tribal villages and slums in the city who themselves need financial support. However, with help from some good samaritans, they do always manage.
In the current COVID19 pandemic, they are taking care of 15 tribal villages in the Aarey region by providing them with daily day and night meals along with the basic utilities such as milk, masks, gloves, dry ration etc. The fact that these people that normally sustain on daily wages are able to eat everyday is what makes them keep going.
"My volunteers who are currently helping me facilitate this are from these tribal villages and were a part of my initial education projects when I had just started. The fact that after all these years of me helping them, they’re working with me without any expectations right now makes it worth it." She shares, “when I see the boy who I had taken to school one day 10 years back comes to me and tells me ma’am do you know me? I was studying in school and you gave us books, uniform etc and today I have a business of my own. It’s these moments that give me motivation to continue my work.
I started with absolutely no funds or contacts, but today we have adopted 6 schools and 5 villages, we have students from international schools and colleges that come and work with us on projects. So it makes me feel that all you need is motivation to start any journey, the rest will follow.”
Yes, as it often said, all one needs is a will to do good and the rest will then follow.
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