How and when did your Vibha journey begin?
My first introduction to Vibha was in the year 2005 when a close friend participated in the Vibha Dream Mile marathon. Subsequently I attended the Vibha MN SP.Balasubramaniam concert where I got the chance to visit their booth and check out their posters and brochures. At this very event, SPB mentioned how a small group of 15-20 volunteers had organized an event this significant and grand. That impressed me a lot and instigated me to join Vibha as a volunteer.
What was the main motivation behind becoming a Vibha volunteer?
I have always believed in encouraging and helping children who are needy and need a lot of support and guidance. I saw that children need some kind of direction and support until they can support themselves. Vibha gave me a chance to pursue this cause and follow my goals and that was the main motivation.
What do you like the most about volunteering with Vibha?
What I like most and appreciate about Vibha is the commitment of volunteers and the quality of openness and transpersancy that is essential in a non-profit organization.
Tell us about your experience of working with fellow Vibha volunteers.
Ideas, energy, open discussions and the passion and commitment from the volunteers is infectious and gives me an opportunity to grow as a person. Every meeting, event or communication is a rejuvenating experience.
How was your first Vibha event? Did you take the lead or helped as the core team member for Vibha events and then how was that experience?
I was one of the leads along with Lakshmi for the SPB concert. I was also a lead for the Vibha MN Dream Mile with Sujit and played the role of ACC along with Veeresh. It was a great experience to know about Vibha, meet a lot of community leaders to get their support, plan and execute events etc. The meetings held every month or week based on the action centre, charts out the plan for events and also lists the tasks to be done and the best part is volunteers take ownership of them without the need to ask.
Tell us about an incident that made you feel extremely satisfied with your contribution to Vibha?
The real experiences shared by volunteers after visiting projects, gives me great satisfaction as a contributor.
What is that one thing you would say to encourage someone to become a part of Vibha?
I would say that being a part of Vibha is a great experience where we get to do a lot for the cause. Meeting people and learning everyday definitely will enrich you in many ways. You can donate or volunteer your time or even visit a project when you go on a visit to India and in all its going to be a fulfilling journey.
Tell us three things you have learnt from your volunteering experience with Vibha?
The list of things that I have learnt is endless, but to list four important things: one is shedding all inhibitions and being open, I learnt to be a good listener and also learnt creative activities like banner making and managing the website too.
Who is your role model?
Everybody who volunteers in any manner or for any self-less cause! It’s difficult to just list a few names, and the list is big from Vibha alone.
Tell us more about yourself and your hobbies and interests.
I have been learning Indian classical Carnatic music since 2004. I enjoy playing tennis, snooker, volley ball, running, swimming and bowling.
What is your message to fellow Vibha volunteers
Our goal is enormous, so let’s keep working at it without looking for the end. Because there is no end.