Simple people …..Great Service
Raman Uncle and Vyjayanti aunty have been Dad and Mom’s friends for a very very long time. But we had not met them too often although we had heard a lot about them from daddy.
My new-found ideas and thoughts about service and social support suddenly brought back my mind to the age-old conversations that I had had with daddy. He used to tell us about the initiative by Vyjayanti aunty and how she helped children in need. I was too young at that time, but still it struck a chord in my brain. I used to wonder even then, about how it would probably feel to make a difference to someone and see them happy. But I never took those thoughts seriously. Now, I felt, it was time to talk to the person making the difference, directly.
We finally had a chance to go towards the other side of the city (where they lived) and I said I will not miss this chance. I made daddy get uncle’s number and I called aunty and told her that we would be there, and I wanted to know all about what she did. She told me that was very welcome, but she din’t think that she did anything too big; this is what people who do great things think. Only the others who watch (like me) see the commendable nature of work they do.
So, I was all set. We were a little late after our long day of other planned activities. But aunty and uncle were at home and we had a nice warm welcome. I realized that they were not in the same place that I knew of and so we did a tour of their house. What is worth mentioning is aunty’s passion. She took us through the bags she had made, quilts she stitched and so many other things that she made herself. Many of them were even made from the waste stuff that one might throw out. They were all beautiful. She has reserved a cozy place in the house for herself and neatly stacked all her stuff that she needed. I have high respect for someone who spends time in the most productive ways. That is not all; aunty is also many parts of the year travelling to be with her son and daughter playing with grandchildren. This is also what she puts as an important part of her life.
Is this what I wanted to find out about? No, that’s why it is so interesting. Aunty is not someone who is running an organization because she had nothing better to do. She has multiple roles in life with huge number of passions and with no specific need to do something additional. Then why is she special and what does she do? I started asking her and I saw her passionately unravel the story behind what she did and why she did it.
Aunty comes from a family background in childhood that was not very lavish but very respectful and hence she upholds similar values until today. Aunty and Uncle have 2 children and they were in Dubai for some time. Aunty had interactions with some children with mental disability in close circles and she found herself thinking that she would like to do something that could help such children. The thoughts kept circling and when they moved to Bangalore, she started approaching people to see how she could help. Although she dint find anything that she could do for mentally challenged children, she found something that she could do with normal children.
Her first endeavor started with the Child Welfare Association where she would go to a boys’ home where destitute children were housed. She would talk to them, spend time with them and come back. Then she was asked to do the same with the girls’ home. She liked it, did it on weekends as she had a job at a college. But then, she soon realized that there was much more that she wanted to do. When she went to the home, even if she wanted to do something to help a child, she had to go through several approval processes and many times it was too tedious and resulted in very late results. So, she said to herself that she wanted to do something on her own.
She started off with the money she earned in the college. She got necessary approvals and permissions and brought some of the boys from the homes to her place. She started a similar organization named “Vishwas”and expanded it to girls’ and boys’ home. She worked with some friends, well-wishers, people of similar mindset and bought a land and built an own location for housing the children. They built in a funding model and raised a corpus.
Today, both aunty and uncle, run this organization with around 37 children. They have established processes. They have all legalities clarified. Their finance and administration are clean and well maintained. They adhere to every government policy (even if some of them really are atrocious). They undergo all necessary government audits.
The children study in English medium regular school. They have all necessary facilities including being taught value systems, culture, current affairs etc. their overall development is taken care of personally by aunty and uncle. They get counselled like parents would do when needed.
They have children who have grown up in the organization and found jobs, got married and settled down. They are so proud to say that every one of their children who grew up got jobs and are leading respectable lives.
The twinkle in their eyes when they say this, is remarkable and indescribable in words. It is worth every bit they do.
Is everything hunky dory? Not really; they have their daily challenges with new government policies, children who sometimes misbehave, staff attrition, warehouse maintenance, stock replenishment and it goes on. But for them, this is daily business.
They have strong cultures built and some of them include,
1. Not taking left over food from anywhere. One may ask, why? They don’t want to give a messaging to their children that this is what they deserve. it is a feeling which grows deep in the children and they want it to be set right. Of course, you could say I am planning a party and hence would additionally like to order food for your children and then they accept as now they are part of your planning.
2. They really would like to children to feel like they are not deprived and hence anyone donating food or clothes should leave it with the staff. The staff will distribute it.
3. Birthday cake cutting by other children at their premises or distribution of used stuff including clothes is a strict no no.
4. They also have specific places from which they get special food for the children so that they can ensure the quality of food. So, they request people to get food only from those places so that the children so not end up sick.
They treat the children like their own. They are strict with them but love them at the same time. They buy them new clothes (was also done for this Diwali) and celebrate with them at the same time cannot tolerate inappropriate dressing.
They say that sometimes, they even have trouble with people who want to volunteer or do nice things (in the name of CSR). The people feel great for having done something, but the children are left confused with what exactly was done and why. They say volunteers are not dependable and their long-term commitment is always questionable. People who say they want to coach, and mentor come a couple of times and the don’t turn up. The children then don’t trust such coaching and mentorship.
Honestly, I had never thought about it. When we are outside, we don’t really look at these perspectives. We feel great to have a done a social act on one day. But we don’t really know what goes on in the minds of who are at the receiving end.
My ask through his blog to volunteers:
1. Please know what exactly you want to achieve and then do it at the right place
2. If you want to do some good, please make a right commitment of time and effort
3. Please know your audience and align with the people running organizations to know what is OK to communicate and what not. Your feeling of greatness on one day should not leave the people running the organization with trouble for the rest of the time.
Lastly, I asked aunty my favourite and the topic that I dread the most ; “who is take over this organization and run it when you feel you are now tired and want to retire?”
Both uncle and aunty said “We are still looking for the right candidate” 😊
They talked about how everything is in place including funding and someone who can fit into the culture needs to just step up with commitment and passion.
They are serious about this and no jokes.
Both Uncle and Aunty talked about how a lot of youngsters today start organizations on their own whereas, they could look for the ones that are already established but have no successor. It would give them a head start and also someone else a solace that they gave their organization to safe hands.
I urge anyone who reads this; if you are interested to take up this organization, you can connect with me and we can discuss to see if this would be a good idea for you and for aunty and uncle.
Vishwas, Their organization, is so close to their heart. the children are like their own. Anyone who can feel and live the same values are invited.
Please write to me at vidhyaprashanth@gmail.com
I hope this is at least some small bit I could do, for 2 awesomely great people developing some of the great citizens of our country
Some further read: https://www.vedaearth.com/blog/vyjayanthi-raman/
