Interviewer: “Meera and Mayank, what is the meaning of the name of this NGO and the reason behind its success? The children of this NGO seem to be very happy and successful in their lives across different fields.”
Mayank: “The name means – the world is one family. Success credit goes to our parents who instilled in us the thought of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and of Equality. Both are egalitarian; hence we were privileged enough to treat each family member equally. They believed that be it a girl or a boy, when they are young their nature is similar… they run, seek new adventures, show their strength, cry when hurt, desire cuddles when sad, scared when alone, demand support and motivation when they fail.”
Meera: “Then why? when they grow, girls stop running, playing sports or seeking adventure while boys stop crying or showing that they are scared even when they are? All because of societal pressure.”
Mayank: “We know many families where girls are raised differently than boys and vice-versa. But, we both were encouraged to participate in sports, learn household chores such as cooking, washing etc… so that we can survive when we move out from our home for further studies.”
Meera: Also, our father always said, “Opportunities doesn’t knock at the door based on gender. So, keep an eye open and grab the opportunities whenever it knocks at your door.”
Mayank: “Hence, when we saw these kids on street we knew this is our opportunity to create a family. Sticking to our principles, we gave all the opportunities to everyone and whoever grabbed them we fuelled their passion towards it. This helped us create a cordial and friendly environment with no resentments – our KUTUMB – lead to success.”
Interviewer: “No more questions, you have said it all”
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- Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - 9 Mar 2019