Infinite Possibilities

Mine is one of those stories where both my parents came from very humble beginnings, had far less opportunities than I have but worked very hard to make it big in their lives and provide me and my brother with all the comforts and opportunities that they never got. Growing up with that background my father always ensured that while we made the most of all the opportunities, avenues and comforts provided to us, we also learn to acknowledge the privilege that we have in this very unequal society. As the result I grew up with a lot of respect and regard for people who haven’t been as fortunate as I have and don’t share the same socio-economic privilege that I do, but work hard to have a chance at a better life.

With the acknowledgment of privilege comes a sense of responsibility to do your bit in bridging the gap between the have and the have nots however small it might be. As I started college I decided to participate in all the social initiatives being run in and outside the campus. In the course of 3 years, one particular initiative have given me a deep sense of satisfaction.

The initiative was called ‘The Youth Employability Project’. The idea started when we met youth from an orphanage called Deepalya. These kids had completed their schooling but had no resource to study further or get a job. The life ahead of them seemed very constrained. We decided to help them by training them in English and computers with the help of a professional vocational and soft skills trainer. After their training each person in our team took the responsibility of 2 of our trainees. We helped them prepare their resumes, apply for jobs and prepared them for there interview. I was working with 2 people- Komal and Dharmendra. Both were very enthusiastic 19 year olds, and one could realize that the only thing standing them and greatness was opportunity. I promised them and myself to provide them with all the opportunities that I could. The three of us worked long and hard to prepare for interviews. I went with both of them for all their interviews and ensured to be a rock solid support for them when they faced disappointments and setbacks. The process was difficult, it took a big chunk of my time and balancing it with my academics and other commitments was getting increasingly difficult. I however kept going because I knew that this was their chance on a better life and wanted to deliver on the dream that I had promised. After a daunting 2 months, our hard work was finally rewarded. Both Komal and Dharmendra got jobs as retail sales managers at Decathlon store in Gurgaon. Its been 2 years now, Komal is pursuing a correspondence course in English and Dharmendra has been promoted to the position of Floor manager. My little contribution to their life gives me a lot of joy.

The sheer joy of making a someone’s life a little better cannot be described in words, but it was an experience that I would cherish my entire life. I hope to continue to be of some aid to people around me and keep giving back to the ecosystems that have made me the person I am.