Sunil Wadhwani & Srikanth Bolla

I just returned from a month long business- vacation trip to the US. What always amazes me is how Americans feel pride in so many things – proud to be an alumnus of a school or college and wanting to give back, proud of the heritage- culture of the state they belong to, proud to be Americans ! On the other hand most (not all) Indians in India don’t really feel this pride in being Indians. Granted we have a lot to be cynical about, the corruption, pollution, poverty…list is endless but I always believe the word “motherland” was coined for a reason. If your mother gets really sick and handicapped, yes you will feel bad but at the same time, you will do your best to help her. So why cant the criticism vs contribution be at least in the ratio of 2:1 vs 100:1 or more that I currently see??

I met several Indians in America who are well off, spend hours analyzing and criticizing India and when asked why they don’t try to make a difference and give back, replied “I am an American and not an Indian” Convenient J

On the other hand, I also met family and friends who handed me cash and cheques to donate to ngos

But the ratio of criticism vs contribution hasn’t changed…it is still skewed and the criticism and cynicism is endless……

The goal of this blog is to spread awareness about some inspiring philanthropists and good work being done, I would like to share 2 amazing people I met in the US, at a conference in Philadelphia – Indiaspora organized by my dear friend Rajan Navani, one of the most competent but more importantly one of the nicest people I know.

So here are the 2 stories ----

Mr Sunil Wadhwani, founder of Igate, entrepreneur, multi billionaire, who is giving back crores and more importantly his time and intellect to make a difference. Please visit www.wishfoundationindia.org

Watch this 15 minute video where he speaks so well about the work he is doing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiQ4h9Djrz4

Gist – he is helping on 2 fronts

Firstly, identifying and funding health innovators as he rightly believes that  technology can significantly increase access & reduce cost of healthcare in india

he has identified 170 health innovations and his foundation is personally funding and helping 15 of these, he is in the process of raising 30 million dollar social venture fund for India as he believes that social entrepreneurship is the most under funded area in India.

Secondly, he has tied up with 3 state governments, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan & Odisha to manage and run their primary heath care centers (220 in Rajasthan alone, first time in the history of Rajasthan that anything like this has been turned over to the private sector. The success of these 220 will then be replicated by the government in the 10,000 clinics they manage!). A much needed structured and corporate approach to healthcare for the poorest!

The second inspiring person I met is Srikanth Bolla, blind entrepreneur from a very poor background who has created a 50 cr company !

http://yourstory.com/2015/12/srikanth-bolla-bollant-industries/

Watch this 11 min video to see how beautifully he speaks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxS5He3KVEM

Gist – he had to sue the indian government as he wasn’t allowed to pursue science post 10^th, was the first international student to graduate from the prestigious MIT school in US and has stated a company to make eco friendly products that hires 150 people, 70% being disabled! WOW

When you read about such people, you wonder how they will be in person and when I met him, I was inspired by his spunk, wit & confidence!

I look forward to sharing many more such stories in the coming months, do try to connect with these ngos/ philanthropists and contribute, if nothing else….read, spread the word, get inspired and most importantly feel proud to be an Indian !

Dr Prakash Amte - a story of selfless giving

Today, I feel grateful and lucky to have been inspired again. I met Dr Prakash Amte and his wife Mandakini Amte. What an experience!!

Some facts I knew before I met him ---

His father Baba Amte had started Anandwan for the rehabilitation of leprosy patients. Dr Prakash Amte chose his own path and settled in Hemalkasa near Ghadchiroli to open a hospital & school for the Maldi tribals there (about 4 lakh in number). Hemalkasa is a 6 hour drive from Nagpur airport. He has won the Padma Shri, several other awards and the King of Monaco even has a stamp in his honour (which by the way made it to a small blurb in the local Nagpur newspaper, why do our heroes get so little national coverage??)

Well all this is the objective, factual data google provides you

When you meet him, what you experience is a man with an incredible sense of humour, roaring laughter and the most sincerely told stories from the heart.

Some stories that inspired me

·      He has what he calls an “animal orphanage” full of leopards, bears, crocodiles, poisonous snakes and deers. There are several videos and pictures of him petting and feeding some of these wild animals. He told us how his 10 month old grandson had a snake around his neck and that’s their idea of a perfect childhood picture! When a malicious forest officer wanted to take way the animals and land, Dr Amte said he would return his Padma Shri, that’s how passionately he loves his animals !!

·      Inspite of having all the relevant documents, he was rejected a visa after a 1 minute interview by the American Embassy (this was after a Padmashri, Monaca stamp and a prior US visit). How insulting! They felt with an income of 3000 a month, he didn’t qualify !!  A day later he got an apology and a 10 year visa but the incident speaks volumes …..

·      Talk about women empowerment – 50% of his 650 students are girls, they have family planning in Hemalkasa but 99% involve vasectomy, he adopted a Maldi tribal girl himself, he proudly tells me how 15 days back he had his first grand daughter after 5 grandsons, he is very happy to talk about the rules in the adivasi community where the boy is supposed to give dowry and the girl post marriage is free to walk away and marry someone else if she is unhappy and how this is widely accepted.

·      What amazes me is that his 2 sons and daughters in law are also staying in Hemalkasa and working with the tribals.– what values do you impart  such that your children believe in your vision and are willing to live a life full of hardhsips, small means. Talk about 3 generations of commitment and passion for selfless giving – Baba Amte, Prakash Amte and now their sons ….

Mrs Amte is equally amazing, she loves to talk and share stories. The couple eats very simple food in a canteen with 100 of their staff members.  They did not touch the fried food or paneer we offered them. Every single morning and evening the couple walk for an hour. After 44 years of marriage, they still speak sweetly about the time they fell in love while studying medicine and how Mrs Amte gave up all luxuries to stay in a tribal area with no electricity and phone ! Then with a glint in his eye Dr Amte speaks how he must be given some credit for that, how wonderful he must have been that she didn’t leave !! She smiles and doesn’t deny it, which says it all

For many this amazing couple is a symbol of sacrifice, a symbol of selflessness , a symbol of giving but for me they are also a symbol of true love !!

Please please order their movie from Amazon and watch it (marathi with English subtitles) and gift it to your friends and family, every now and then we all need a little bit of inspiration in our lives 

Kiran Sethi, an inspiration !

Graduate from prestigious institute like NID……..

left her fledging designing career to start a school as she was dissatisfied with her sons learning experience, Riverside her school on the banks of Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad is one of the top most schools in Ahmedabad and nationally recognized as a pioneer in education for several innovative learning models (schoolriverside.com)………

started “Aproch” and “ Design for Change”, 2 innovative initiatives…………

got several prestigious awards like the Asian Game Changer Award 2015 , awards from Rockefeller foundation, Ashoka and so many more…………….

is a highly sought out speaker at prestigious forums across the globe ………….

has pictures with Bill Clinton and Obama …..

PHEW…..and not to mention she is gorgeous, humble and with an infectious energy and charm that can blow you away when you meet her in person ……I was super lucky to meet this super woman a couple days back……KIRAN SETHI…talk about multitasking and excelling at everything !!!!

If you want a glimpse of her world please see her short but impactful 8 min you tube vide as a TED speaker in 2009, https://www.ted.com/talks/kiran_bir_sethi_teaches_kids_to_take_charge?language=en

Also see her episode with Amitabh Bachchan on “Aaj ki Raat hai Zindagi”

My take away of her fundamental belief – Children are not just our future, they are the NOW. Why wait till they are older to have them make a change? Make them “Aware” and then “Enable” and “Empower” then now to be the change !

She believes that when students engage with their community, demonstrate empathy and feel good about themselves, they also do well academically!

Some key facts about the incredible work being done by this amazing lady

·      Design for Change – This is an initiative that encourages children to identify a problem in their community that is bothering them and “design” a solution. It is about changing their mindset from “Can I” to “I Can”. They get a week to do this. 4379 schools participate, thousands of stories pour in ever year from even the remotest corners of India, followed by annual “I can awards”. Children through dharnas, fundraisers, street plays and so many creative means find solutions to community problems like alcoholism, child marriage, child labour, bullying and so many more issues. 40 countries across the globe have adopted this initiative (talk about Make in India !!)and more to join ….. (www.dfcworld.com). Help bring DFC to more schools and communities, spread the word….

·      Aproch is an initiative where she has worked with the government to make Ahmedabad India’s first child safe city. Every Sunday, the busiest streets of Ahmedabad close down and are taken over by children from all walks of life, children are skating, drawing, cycling, a truly inclusive and safe environment. Same with playgrounds and cinema halls across the city! (www.aproch.org)

To me Kiran is a role model, I feel proud that 40 countries have adopted her model instead of the other way around, thanks to Kiran and DFC, they think of India as a hub of education innovation !

Nothing was handed to her, several naysayers told her that her ideas would not get funding, were too impractical, larger than life…..but persistence and passion can work wonders and Kiran is a living case study of just that !!! Kiran, Thank you for inspiring me J

Teach for India

15^th December – my 3^rd year visiting a TFI class room. This year was as inspiring and over whelming as the previous 2. The kids sang for me and showed me a short video on their Design For Change project (DCF is an amazing initiative by Kiran Sethi, do google it and read about it).

Their love for their Didi (TFI fellow), twinkling eyes, big smiles, eagerness to answer my questions and the beautifully decorated classroom spoke volumes of the efforts taken by their Fellow !!

Then arrived a thank you note and the TFI book by mail(Redrawing India by Kovind Gupta & Shaheen Mistri)….I was intrigued and started reading, couldn’t put it down….. The stories of little children and the hardships they face…exposure to alcoholism, wife beating, pornography, bad language, superstitions, stories of children tied to their beds for safety while moms go to work, cloth stuffed in their ears to keep bugs away, girl child put in a garbage bag and dumped in a bin, drugs given to a crying baby……why do they have to be exposed to this life & worry about the next meal or the next place to sleep when instead they should be learning, reading, laughing……why is it such a privilege to get a decent education in our country ??? Why are there so many children and such few opportunities ???

The book made me go through a range of emotions in just a matter of few hours, anger and sorrow when I read about the plight of these children and the education inequity, awe when I read about Shaheen Mistry’s (founder of Akanksha and TFI) privileged background and how she gave up a life abroad when she was barely 18 to live here and make a difference (without knowing a word of hindi), pride when I read about all the Fellows and their persistence and finally hope when I read about the 5 year journey and their impact assessment !

A short summary on the program  (2014 – 15 statistics from their annual report)

1.     58% children don’t complete primary school, 90% don’t complete school, 32% grade 2 students cannot recognize numbers, 52% grade 5 students cannot read grade 2 text, 45% schools don’t have girls toilets.

2.     13426 applications for TFI fellowship received and 7% acceptance rate.

3.     910 fellows, 660 alumni, 271 schools, 7 cities. A good set of sponsors & believers (especially proud of my role models Anu Aga and Meher Pudumjee)

4.     The “Firki” is their symbol – “spinning discovered colours to form a movement” – so apt

5.     Each fellow teaches for 2 years and has a target of 1.5 years of growth

6.     Art and Musicals are a big part of the learning experience. Their musical Maya had 75 children participating, practice spanning 18 months which resulted in 11 spectacular shows in 2 cities

7.     Classroom emergencies arise daily – disruptive and disrespectful kids, pencil stabbing, kids fainting of hunger, leaking roofs, non functional bathrooms, waterless taps, desks falling apart as the iron is stolen for sale, non co-operative school staff …..but there is a strong induction and training program for incoming fellows and structured hand holding through the 2 years to help

8.     The fellowship is a unique leadership development opportunity, 64% alumni are engaged in some form of education development initiative.

9.     TFI has adopted a strong corporate approach in terms of a super competent board as well as group of advisors, sincere management team with positions for key areas such as training and fellows impact, alumni impact, national events, city directors, HR, technology. I would strongly advise you to read their latest annual report on their website. This corporate approach has helped them with their scale & sustainability.

What I liked the most about this book is the afterword – long list of specific suggestions given for how you can help …..apply for a fellowship, donate money, spread the word, connect with a child (take them to a movie, give them an ice cream or gift of their choice), make your children more socially aware, grateful and responsible, advocate for education equity…..

Most importantly, this book & my personal experience with TFI has reinforced my sense of gratitude – to focus on what I have rather than what I don’t have, to switch from musing over problems to finding solutions, to change my limiting mind set from being judgmental and opinionated to giving faith a chance……