Purposeful StoriesApril 2023
Hope
In the post-pandemic world, all of us need a daily reminder of the power of compassion, love, kindness, and, above all, HOPE.
It is amazing how positive vibes can stir up our imaginations, ignite creativity, and change us in ways we never thought possible. The unique ability of human beings to summon the courage to figure out what to do in a pressure cooker situation is comparable to none. Hope in despair is what separates humans from the rest of living organisms. Indeed, a life without hope is purposeless and directionless. The heaviest burdens are often the ones that we carry inside. Therefore, our capacity to liberate ourselves from confusion and clutter and to keep hope alive is incredible in more ways than one.
Here we are, in April 2023. Is April the cruellest month, breeding, as described in T.S. Eliot’s epic poem? Or, is April the sweetest month? Yes, we are in April. The chirping of birds is one of the many signs of the arrival of spring. Spring is about HOPE. It is the season of blossoming in the alcoves of almonds and our beautiful gardens. And hope springs eternal. Under no circumstances shall hope be abandoned or surrendered.
Sometimes, life can be tough, rough and unpredictable. Some may be of the view that life can be unfair, too. Fair enough. Many of us may have had to find an appropriate answer to a seemingly simple question after the horrible pandemic that shook our planet earth in 2020-21: “How are you feeling in the post-COVID-19 pandemic world?” Is it a simple question?
Perhaps, it is not. It can evoke mixed emotions and generate different responses. Or, it could make some people recollect memories of the horrors caused by the pandemic—financial crunches, layoffs, anxieties, uncertainties, and what not!
Where there is life,
There is HOPE!
Keeping hope alive in challenging circumstances can be inspiring in myriad ways. Psychiatrists argue that happiness is a pursuit.
Recently, people around the globe commemorated the International Day of Happiness. An optimist can see happiness even in small achievements, baby steps as they say. This can be achieved by not giving up hope. Ensuring psychological well-being, including contentment with life, holds the key.
Practices that lay emphasis on optimism transport positive energy and good vibes. Empirical evidence demonstrates that to have a favourable view of the future, hope is essential.
“Absolute happiness is a mirage achieved only as a part of mental health issues, and non-acceptance of sadness as a normal human emotion is a modern concept and perhaps responsible for most of the unhappiness.”
Dr. Arshad Hussain
Leading Psychiatrist and Mental Health Professional, Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences
“There are always miracles in the world, even when it seems dark,”
writes a 103-year-old Holocaust survivor Eddie Jaku in The Happiest Man on Earth: The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor.
Stitching
Partnerships
A good piece of news changes lives and brings smiles. In India, the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP)—the government’s ambitious project launched five years ago—is one such good news. The stated objective of this flagship initiative is to transform the lives of people living in India’s most underdeveloped districts. NITI Aayog has identified 112 underdeveloped districts across India’s rural geography where a lot of work is required in areas such as health, nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion and skill development and infrastructure to achieve incremental progress in key performance indicators. The positive Stories of Change bring about a lot of hope for a better future.
It is a fact that to achieve desired progress, the government's endeavours are never enough. That is where the role of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) becomes decisive. Many NGOs are putting their best foot forward to change the lives of the underprivileged, dispossessed, disempowered and disadvantaged sections of society.
The Association of People with Disability (APD) is an NGO based in Bengaluru, Karnataka, in southern India. APD collaborates with trained ASHA or Accredited Social Health Activists (female community health activists) and Anganwadi workers to enhance their capacity to work for the empowerment of persons born with disabilities. For the last 63 years, the APD is transforming the lives of underprivileged individuals with disabilities. The organization is on a mission to empower children and adults with a range of disabilities including locomotor, spinal cord injury, speech and hearing, cerebral palsy, and to some extent, mental issues.
The APD’s 3P Principle: Processes, Partnerships and People
According to Dr. N. S. Senthil Kumar, CEO of APD, the organization’s efforts in this direction have impacted the lives of over half-a-million individuals with disabilities and sensitized a million+ people at the community level. In Kumar’s appreciation, the APD works on the 3P principle; one, the Processes which include identification and documentation of each case of disability; two, the Partnerships with the community, government and other stakeholders so that duplication of work is avoided; and three, the People, their sensitivity, awareness and capacity building.
Dr. Kumar shares the vision of HOPE. There are many success stories, he says while emphasising India’s successful fight against polio. Polio is a thing of the past because the intervention reached the last mile. As a consequence, the once deadly disease stands completely eradicated in the world’s second most heavily populated country. The same is the story concerning Hansen’s disease or leprosy, a chronic infectious disease causing skin lesions and nerve damage. Though there are some odd leprosy cases here and there, the battle has been won and the efforts put in to fight the disease cannot be ignored.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Kumar asserts that APD worked very closely with the ASHA and Anganwadi workers in Karnataka’s rural geography to instigate a positive change by reaching out to needy individuals with vaccination and other medical aid. The work done in Raichur and Yadgir—the two aspirational Karnataka districts—can be replicated in India’s other districts by forging constructive partnerships among the government, NGOs and the community. Support at the community level bodes well for the future. Journey of Hope continues unabated.
No journey is undemanding or a cakewalk. In Karnataka’s rural geography, transportation and hostile climatic conditions have been major challenges to reaching the last mile and to the last person. However, APD’s successful model driven by the engine of innovation has ensured capacity building and cost-effectiveness. The NGO has done well by imparting further training to health workers and also including the locals as fellows in reaching out to persons with disabilities with care and compassion.
According to Dr. Kumar, government officials have been forthcoming and facilitated the good work by issuing relevant orders and involving government stakeholders wherever needed. APD volunteers go door-to-door to map down disabilities and subsequently arrange necessary action including early intervention, providing aids and appliances, working on malnutrition, providing health facilities and education, and finally equipping people with disabilities at an age-appropriate stage so that they earn livelihood in a dignified manner.
The positive impact on the lives of underprivileged people at the APD has earned a reputation for early intervention and improving results while also ensuring that the specially-abled individuals are prepared for regular school as well.
Education, they say, is a lifesaver. Shared sorrow is half-sorrow. Shared HOPE is a double pleasure.
Eddie Jaku, Author, Happiest Man on Earth
Knots of
Liberation
Some individuals dare to dream and end up writing their scripts. They do not endorse social prejudices and instead muster the courage to instigate positive changes in society. Here is a story of a man who has ensured the smiles and financial independence of thousands of weavers. Equality remains central to his leadership style.
Nand Kishore Chaudhary is globally recognized for his work as a social entrepreneur. His work in empowering women artisans from Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh is inspiring. His endeavours offer a lot of hope. Taking a baby step in 1978, N K Chaudhary began his entrepreneurial expedition after taking a small loan from his father. He started weaving carpets with a tiny group comprising less than 10 artisans and two looms. Today, he is celebrated as the ‘Gandhi of the Carpet Industry’. Chaudhary is the brain behind Jaipur Rugs.
Women artisans in thousands from Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are weaving an amazing story of hope. The art of weaving rugs has been liberating for them. Their determination to take control of their lives springs hope. These amazing women do not allow anyone to weaponise their livelihood.
India’s villages are a witness to the dexterous hand movements of these weavers and their enviable skill set. Every knot is comparable to a votive thread tied at a holy shrine. Every knot is almost akin to the prayer necessary to get the desired result: Jaipur Rugs. In a way, theirs are the knots of women's power and liberation.
Hope is more than an emotive concept. HOPE—is a beautiful word. Hope drives our lives. Hope may not add days to our life, but it can add life to our days.
What is your view? How do you keep the hope alive when the going gets tough? Do you hit the gym? Listen to music? Read a book? How exactly do you overcome fear and offer hope to yourself?
We leave you with an inspiring quote
“Surround yourself with people whose eyes light up when they see you coming; two, slowly is the fastest way to get to where you want to be; and three, the top of one mountain is the bottom of the next. So keep climbing.”
André Robin De Shields, a renowned American actor, singer and director:
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