Could you tell us a little about Ekal Vidyalaya?

The Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation is a non-profit charity organization dedicated to bringing education & village development in rural India. The Ekal movement is the largest, grassroots, non-government education movement, which strives to create a network of literacy centers that will educate and empower children and aims to help eradicate illiteracy from rural and tribal India by 2015. Four cornerstones of Ekal Vidyalaya are primary education, healthcare, development and empowerment. Idea is to develop self-sustaining villages.

What motivated you to join the Ekal team?

While Indians have succeeded in flexing their intellectual prowess and in establishing entrepreneurship throughout the world, over a third of India's population is illiterate. Education is the key to success in life, and I was motivated by the quote from Eleanor Roosevelt - “Light a candle instead of cursing the darkness”.  I chose to join Ekal team because Ekal Vidyalaya is working at grassroots level to make a difference in the lives of children in rural India. I have also been inspired by the dedication and selflessness of Ekal New England volunteers team.

What new initiatives have you brought to Ekal since you took charge as the President?

We focused on expanding Ekal’s reach into Indian population of Massachusetts and involve youth in the noble cause of spreading our message. We organized or co-hosted several events. IndiArt - “Children in rural India” was designed to enable children from the New England area to use their art to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged children in India. Rangeela - a very successful Ekal fundraiser at Lexington High School by a high-school student Sahana Srinivasan and a Basketball fundraiser tournament by Somil Sanghvi from Springfield, MA. Ekal and ATFS co-hosted  Math Bee competition to build awareness amongst elementary and middle school children and raise funds for Ekal. We also hosted a “Power of Education Forum” and brought academicians, entrepreneurs, community leaders together, to explore various avenues under “Ekal” to empower neglected millions through state-of-the Art technology and techniques.

 We heard you had a very successful fundraiser. Could you share some highlights?

Ekal Musical fundraising event was a roaring success, and the credit goes to the most sincere, hard-working and dedicated team of Ekal New England. The event was attended by over 500 people that not only enjoyed the melodious music by Vibhavari Yadav and Sunil Menon; delicious food by Masala Art; but also opened their giving heart to support the worthy cause. The involvement that was displayed by the participants for Ekal’s cause humbled us and we are tremendously encouraged by the feedback we received during and after the event. With the help of our generous guests, we were able to raise ~750 schools in year 2014.

You have also served as President of IAGB. What motivates you to give time to community activities?

I feel, it’s important in life to follow your passions and find some time for giving back to the community. The sense of making a difference gives me true pleasure - no matter how small it is and motivates me to give time for the community activities. I am also blessed with family that supports and helps me find time for what I enjoy.

How do you maintain a work - life balance ?

Balance is not better time management, but better boundary management. When I am at work, I try to devote my 100% to work. I am also fortunate to have an excellent team at work, at Ekal and a wonderful supportive wife, who help me maintain a healthy balance and boundaries.

 
What advice would you give people who may consider doing community service ?

I would encourage everyone to step forward and get involved in community service. It builds a healthy sense of compassion and a strong charitable spirit. You’ll be amazed to learn how much difference you alone can make in the lives of others.