Changemakers Lab: A blessing in disguise

I am writing these stories to motivate every sister in the world's pulse. Please get rid of the fear. There is no perfect time to do something in life. But, if you have a goal go for it and make a difference. The time is now.

As an individual who has hardly been part of any cohort or fellowships, I felt overwhelmed when I got selected for the changemakers lab.

I have never applied for cohorts or fellowships since I was a child. I have no idea what stopped me, I always felt hesitant, and there was always a fear of rejection, making me procrastinate and finally lose the deadline. Despite being an outstanding public speaker, I thought about my writing skills; it's not that I don't know how to write or share a story. My inhibition made me feel that the person reviewing my application would laugh at me. My friends and peers consistently told me, you have done great work, yet you don't apply for scholarships. What's stopping you? No one was stopping me. I stopped myself all these years despite working in the social impact sector for a decade, rescuing 7000 children, youth, and women from different types of trafficking. I didn't share my experiences with anyone. It took me 30 years to realize that unless you tell the world about the change, you are creating daily, how will they know what you have done? I always felt showcasing my work would be wrong as that would dilute the essence of my work. Little did I realize that if I had done it earlier, I would have been eligible for so many scholarships and grants, which would help me in my dream of eradicating human trafficking to some extent. The impact would be huge, and I would be able to make so many people join my campaign. But how that would be possible was my thought all the time. I don't want to write about my work and how I will tell the world about the cause I am working for in my country India.

I was always in a dilemma, sad and upset.

At this time, the World Pulse came as a blessing in disguise through my dear friend Jill who introduced me to this beautiful platform. My fear of being judged vanished, and I started writing, and my interest in sharing stories changed slowly and gradually. I have been reading all the stories shared by sisters worldwide, which gives me the daily courage to share updates on my work. The changemakers lab has helped me grow tremendously as an individual.