Kiran has been volunteering with Bhumi since 2015 as part of the Little Einstein Mathematics project.
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
I work as a Senior Software Engineer in Triad Software Pvt. Ltd. I joined Bhumi officially in 2015, and am currently a part of the Little Einstein Project. My aim is to create a significant impact on the society.
How did volunteering with Bhumi happen?
I was one of those guys who spent his weekends leisurely, waking up to a heavy lunch and an acclaimed Hollywood movie until my roommate Aashiq (Ex-LEM Project Coordinate) pushed me to enroll into Bhumi.
I’ve always been very fond of photography so I enrolled as a one-day volunteer as part of the Media team at a Bhumi event (Ignite Fest, 2015). That day changed my life. The assumption that I had with ‘teaching’ kids was entirely wrong. This was something more than just teaching. That one day convinced me to continue volunteering at Bhumi.
Share your experience with events that you’ve actively participated in.
As days passed, I participated in many Bhumi events, one of them being Nakshatra, which was the event that killed the introvert in me. With support from my co-volunteers, I took up the role of a Media Coordinator. Initially shying away from it, I faced my fears and worked hard to justify the significant role that was given to me.
Any specific, special moment with kids or volunteers you would like to share with us?
During the said event, I interacted with many kids, two of whom made this day memorable. They came up to me and began talking to me. I was puzzled as they knew my name, but I did not remember them. They refreshed my memory and told me I’d appreciated their projects and taken a photo of them once, several months ago. A simple appreciation from me had a huge impact on them. I teared a little and realised the effect we could have on their lives. Working harder to make something better for the kids became an addiction. I felt like a complete Bhumian at that moment.
How was the experience with your fellow volunteers?
The fellow volunteers were filled with energy, enthusiasm and commitment at all times. They were constantly driven towards providing the children with better education and moral values. Each one of them is an inspiration in one way or another.
During my initial days, I was an introvert and mainly kept to myself. Handling different kinds of children was hard and I needed help. However, I did not open up about this with the other volunteers. As days passed, we noticed a drastic improvement in ourselves and the kids, that resulted from the volunteers understanding each other better and understanding the kids’ mentality and their strengths better. When these two factors were strongly established, nothing could stop us.
What changes did these experiences bring in your life? How has Bhumi altered your personality?
The feeling that one gets when a child finally solves a math problem after a year of struggling to merely read it, is enormous pride. It satisfied my thirst to create an impact on the society.
Bhumi created a symbiotic environment for me. It gave me a lot of valuable friends, and evolved me into a better person. It started as ‘One day in Bhumi’ and ended up being ‘Bhumian for Lifetime’.