This month’s meeting happened on the 10th of November and it started off with a bang with our new student, Hemani Shah, taking the stage for compering.
It makes us all at the Foundation immensely happy and proud to see new students feel comfortable enough to come out of their shells and join in on the monthly meetings with such gusto. Overcoming stage fright requires a high amount of faith in oneself and camaraderie with their peers and karyakartas and it’s always a treat to see students become both confident and vulnerable in front of their friends and peers.
This month’s meeting kicked off with an orientation for the new students. Our karyakarta, Mr. Birari, explained the rules of the Foundation to them and also introduced the new students to their karyakarta palaks. It was followed up by a short, poignant story with a good moral.
Mr. Ratan Tata’s passing was felt nationwide. And to commemorate his contribution and pay our respect, Ms. Bhagyashree Somvate conducted a short session to highlight his qualities and also give everyone a little insight into his life and work.
A new initiative started this month onwards is to conduct short sessions about eminent personalities so students will know of the bright minds around the world and their contributions in their niches. This month, they learned about Dr Padmavati Iyer and her work in India. Born in 1917, she was a cardiologist who in spite of studying in eminent universities in the UK and USA, returned to India to help the poor and needy. She was a recipient of the prestigious Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards. Even at the age of 90, she worked 12 hours each day for 5 days a week. She also formed a trust called Janaki Padmavati Trust and donated all her savings to it. This trust provides treatment for cardiovascular diseases to the needy.
The meeting concluded with a spirited, motivational film on Dr Rajendra Barud, IAS.
The day marked not just a celebration of all that DU Foundation is, but also all that DU Foundation hopes to be.
