A selfless journey
There is a lesson for everyone in the story of Nipun and Guri Mehta
PAARTH JOSHI AND LEKHA MENON
IT was the heady days of the dotcom boom and young Indian techies headed to the Big Apple to realise their dollar dreams. However, one young IT professional decided to buck the trend. In a world consumed by the buy-buy syndrome, he decided to give. Nipun Mehta, then 23, started Charity Focus — a unique on-line voluntary organisation that aids others with web-based technological solutions.
Today this Ahmedabadborn, California-based techie is on an even bigger mission. Along with his wife Guri and a few friends, he is on a padyatra — a journey in “search of the realities of life.” But why would two high-flyers want to forgo everything to give something back to the society?
Charity begins at home: It began in 1999 at a gathering of few friends over pizza. “Frankly there was no real agenda... it was all about giving selflessly,” recalls Nipun. A University of California graduate, Nipun had joined Sun Microsystems at Silicon Valley. But unlike others whose only thought was to double their income, Nipun was concerned that advances in technology benefited only a few. “Hence we wanted to start something where we could use technology to help the needy,” says brother Viral, who is part of the group.
Getting focussed: The organisation basically creates websites, provides technical assistance and engages in projects designed to benefit NGOs. Powered by volunteers, the idea is to inspire others to contribute. Today, it has over 8,000 registered volunteers across a dozen countries and has served over 1,000 voluntary organisations in the US and outside.
Mergers and acquisitions: In the third year of its inception, Nipun created history when his organisation took over a dotcom. Pledgepage.com which created an interactive way for donors to raise money for non-profit causes, was finding it difficult to sustain. Charity Focus acquired pledgepage — a rare instance of a dotorg taking over a dotcom.
Returning to Swades: The Mehtas also want to inspire NRIs to give back to their country. “There is an overwhelming response from young Indians in the US who want to serve,” says Guri, a graduate in Psychology who is accompanying Nipun. Another aim is to create a ‘service map of India’ and a website (www.ijourney.org) documenting the unique encounters of their yatra.
Awards and rewards: Apart from write-ups in the national and international media, Nipun was also chosen to receive the 2004 “Viswa Jyoti” Role Model Award of the North South Foundation — that recognises young Americans of Indian origin across North America who can be role models. Besides, he’s also received the Jefferson Award for community service.
A unique yatra: Currently the couple are traversing through Gujarat. But why walk? “People should observe the realities of life. Our aim is to experience moments and not events, to enjoy life non-materialistically,” says Nipun. The duo started walking from the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad and walked to Vadodara via Navagam, Nadiad and Chicodra. Their budget is to spend only one dollar a day. They sleep on temple parapets or in an ashram or simply take shelter in a villager’s hut. And the journey, they say, has been an eye-opener in more ways than one: “People said I couldn’t sleep at the village temple, because I was a woman,” recalls Guri, “I realised how social misconceptions are still prevalent.” And it’s these prejudices, misconceptions and hatred that they hope to change through a simple maxim: Help others to help others.
There is a lesson for everyone in the story of Nipun and Guri Mehta
PAARTH JOSHI AND LEKHA MENON
IT was the heady days of the dotcom boom and young Indian techies headed to the Big Apple to realise their dollar dreams. However, one young IT professional decided to buck the trend. In a world consumed by the buy-buy syndrome, he decided to give. Nipun Mehta, then 23, started Charity Focus — a unique on-line voluntary organisation that aids others with web-based technological solutions.
Today this Ahmedabadborn, California-based techie is on an even bigger mission. Along with his wife Guri and a few friends, he is on a padyatra — a journey in “search of the realities of life.” But why would two high-flyers want to forgo everything to give something back to the society?
Charity begins at home: It began in 1999 at a gathering of few friends over pizza. “Frankly there was no real agenda... it was all about giving selflessly,” recalls Nipun. A University of California graduate, Nipun had joined Sun Microsystems at Silicon Valley. But unlike others whose only thought was to double their income, Nipun was concerned that advances in technology benefited only a few. “Hence we wanted to start something where we could use technology to help the needy,” says brother Viral, who is part of the group.
Getting focussed: The organisation basically creates websites, provides technical assistance and engages in projects designed to benefit NGOs. Powered by volunteers, the idea is to inspire others to contribute. Today, it has over 8,000 registered volunteers across a dozen countries and has served over 1,000 voluntary organisations in the US and outside.
Mergers and acquisitions: In the third year of its inception, Nipun created history when his organisation took over a dotcom. Pledgepage.com which created an interactive way for donors to raise money for non-profit causes, was finding it difficult to sustain. Charity Focus acquired pledgepage — a rare instance of a dotorg taking over a dotcom.
Returning to Swades: The Mehtas also want to inspire NRIs to give back to their country. “There is an overwhelming response from young Indians in the US who want to serve,” says Guri, a graduate in Psychology who is accompanying Nipun. Another aim is to create a ‘service map of India’ and a website (www.ijourney.org) documenting the unique encounters of their yatra.
Awards and rewards: Apart from write-ups in the national and international media, Nipun was also chosen to receive the 2004 “Viswa Jyoti” Role Model Award of the North South Foundation — that recognises young Americans of Indian origin across North America who can be role models. Besides, he’s also received the Jefferson Award for community service.
A unique yatra: Currently the couple are traversing through Gujarat. But why walk? “People should observe the realities of life. Our aim is to experience moments and not events, to enjoy life non-materialistically,” says Nipun. The duo started walking from the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad and walked to Vadodara via Navagam, Nadiad and Chicodra. Their budget is to spend only one dollar a day. They sleep on temple parapets or in an ashram or simply take shelter in a villager’s hut. And the journey, they say, has been an eye-opener in more ways than one: “People said I couldn’t sleep at the village temple, because I was a woman,” recalls Guri, “I realised how social misconceptions are still prevalent.” And it’s these prejudices, misconceptions and hatred that they hope to change through a simple maxim: Help others to help others.
posted by couldnt-find-a-name at 9:44 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home