“…in the end, it is Sahasra Deepika that has changed my own life for the better.”
It is true that Sahasra Deepika has been helping the girls in Bangalore for a long time. We provide them with the education that will help them in the future. We just don’t help them to see them succeed in the future, but also, being in Sahasra Deepika means a new beginning. A new chance, and a new opportunity. We like to be their new home, that they will feel equal love, attention and opportunity.
As I look back on my time throughout high school, I have had the chance to reflect upon the importance of my education. It has led me to question my own beliefs and take an interest in the issues facing our world. It is what has shaped me to be who I am today. Another critical part of my own development throughout high school can be attributed to my time as a Youth Ambassador for Sahasra Deepika. As a Youth Ambassador, I have seen the difference that can be made when people are willing to work to put their ideas into action, I have learned that the path to change begins with acceptance, and I have witnessed the impact that an education can have on a life. As I approach a fresh start in heading to college, I will rely on the lessons I have learned throughout my schooling and those I have been grateful enough to learn from SDIE.
New beginnings are the hallmark of Sahasra Deepika. Upon the girls’ arrival they are granted a new beginning, one filled with not only education, but love. They are able to enter into a world filled with sisterhood as they study and grow up at Sahasra Deepika. They are able to attend university, have careers, and create meaningful change in society. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” I think that Sahasra Deepika takes this one step further. Yes they are investing in knowledge, but they are also investing in individuals, fostering independence and opportunity. So not only does Sahasra Deepika give each girl that comes there a fresh start, they also give each girl the tools to create a new beginning for herself in whatever she chooses to do with her life.
This year I will attend university, as will Rakshita, Kavita, Nagashree, Triveni, Divyashree, Kavya, and Chandana. As we created Sahasra Deepika Journeys, a newspaper for Sahasra Deepika, we learned about each other and I discovered that we were not as different as it seemed. The newspaper was meant to give the girls of Sahasra Deepika an outlet to express their own ideas. What I did not realize at the time was that the newspaper was also bridging together the girls of Sahasra Deepika and girls abroad, like myself, who also want to fight for women’s education. We all have plans, we all have dreams, and thanks to our education we have the chance to explore our greatest aspirations.
Personally, I am unsure of exactly what I want for my future. All I can say for certain is that I know I want to effect change and more specifically, I want to positively affect lives. Meeting the girls at Sahasra Deepika and being a part of this organization has shown me that through understanding, effort, and respect my greatest life goal is possible. I say this because while I originally began working with Sahasra Deepika to begin creating this change, in the end, it is Sahasra Deepika that has changed my own life for the better by helping me to understand the problems in our world, propelling me to put my efforts towards fighting for what I believe in, and teaching me to respect people of all backgrounds, near and far. I cannot thank Sahasra Deepika enough for giving me my own new beginning, teaching me how to make a difference in our world.
Neha Mukherjee served as a Youth Ambassador for Sahasra Deepika from 2015 – 2018. She now attends Brown University.
