How Volunteering at an Ashram Ignited My Passion for Entrepreneurship

My father is an entrepreneur; so is my grandfather, and so was my great-grandfather. Business runs in my blood, but the spark of entrepreneurship didn’t ignite until SRMD expedited my journey. A pivotal period in my life was staying at the SRMD Ashram in Dharampur, where I undertook many new activities, which ultimately molded me into the entrepreneur I am today. These activities consisted of volunteer work to help run various aspects of the organization. This exposed me to the managerial and corporate world at a young age and created a joy for entrepreneurship.

Tiffin Delivery

Due to the nation-wide COVID-19 lockdown throughout 2020-2021, the Ashram, being a self-sustaining town, required manpower to run various tasks. One seva activity I decided to join was the tiffin delivery: a service where food tiffins were delivered to the elderly and others who could not collect it themselves from the Food Hall. The service was provided for three meals a day, seven days a week. The most important value that I gained from delivering the tiffins was the importance of hard work. Many aspects of my work were physically tiring, from pushing trolleys piled with stacks of filled crates, to carrying food baskets around in the heat. Overcoming laziness, I understood that effort is required to achieve the best outcome, no matter the situation. This made me feel incredibly fulfilled; providing care and support gave me responsibility and purpose!

I vividly remember speaking with one wheelchair-bound elderly gentleman after delivering his food every day. Seeing him smiling every evening made me feel grateful for the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on somebody’s life. I loved the connection and special bond that I developed with the elders! In addition to this joy, this act of seva instilled within me the concept of undertaking worthwhile, fruit-bearing efforts, such as making the lives of hundreds of elderly people easier and happier!

Today, I carry this learning that nothing is achieved without effort when I develop and undertake social enterprises. I always work towards a goal that bears fruit, such as putting a smile on someone’s face, making it all worthwhile. The days of pushing heavy trolleys and lifting crates also built in me a value for collaboration. Working alone did not bring me success all those years ago, and even today I understand the importance of teamwork to get things done. For instance, the UAE’s first student-run AI Hackathon ‘InnovAIte’ could not have been organized without the productivity of my fellow co-founders working together.

While the task of delivering tiffins seemed simple to me, I was surprised by the complexity of the system in place, necessary for smooth running. For one, the duty of delivering to different parts of the sprawling Ashram had to be assigned to different groups. My team of 10 took charge of the northern half, including the Aradhana-Sadhana sector, the Prem-Shraddha-Arpanta sector, and the AN-SN sector. Beyond this logistical organization, smaller tasks had to be assigned. A volunteer would be the buggy driver, others would physically carry the food crates to the buildings, and importantly, someone would manage  the digital system: an Excel spreadsheet maintaining details and statuses of deliveries.

This seemingly straightforward seva activity has taught me so much. In a sense, it was my first experience working in a simulated ‘business’, with everything from managers to logistics to deliverables. Today, my characteristics of being organized, and effectively managing a work team can be attributed to my tiffin delivery days at the Ashram!

Video Editing

Another seva activity that has greatly influenced my qualities as a team leader and entrepreneur has been video editing with SRMD’s AV Department. My first task, in March 2021, was to make video highlights of the Mission’s events. These included all sorts of events, from Gurudev’s 1990s trip to the Makar Sakranti festivities of January 2021. Naturally, going through hours of footage and condensing them into an attention-catching, brief video was not an easy task. I quickly learned the key factor: creativity. I was constantly looking through footage for the best moments to clip into a montage, or the best animated titles to use. Today, creativity is a key skill that allows me to produce high-quality, appealing end-products. Not just simple school presentations, but also the process of designing a product using my technical expertise requires innovation, a form of creativity in itself. 

Video editing with SRMD also introduced me to the traditional corporate hierarchy. At times, my role was to deliver videos by deadlines, and at other times, it was to lead new editors in learning the ropes. In all of this, the key value was effectively participating in a team for the process to run smoothly. 

Technology Development

Most recently, I have begun seva with tangible, physical outcomes. Inspired by my tour of the Shrimad Rajchandra Hospital (mentioned in the previous blog), I initiated research into the development of healthcare-related tech products. Having identified a list of gaps in the hospital, I challenged myself by ideating viable solutions. In its essence, I was using the critical skill of problem-solving. The development of innovative ideas required both creativity and a solid understanding of the science behind the tech. As with the works of any designer, many of my conceptual designs did not reach the execution stages. This did not stop me from exploring various ideas: low-cost, portable diagnostic kits, solar-powered vaccine refrigerators, medical delivery drones, health education platforms and so much more.

Beyond problem-solving, my tech-related seva has taught me to talk to professionals and field-experts with confidence. Over the last year, I have collaborated with hospital doctors, patients, engineers, and materials scientists on various projects. This has developed my communication skills, as well as my ability to grasp key learnings from technical conversations.

Working on manufacturing products requires immense perseverance. I have often been faced with challenges: major design flaws affecting functionality, or difficulty in sourcing a particular material. Overcoming these challenges simply requires dedication (and sometimes technological support). By spending a few hours troubleshooting and even asking Google for help, I have been able to identify malfunctioning motors or resolve error-ridden Arduino codes. This has had a significant impact on me, as I always learn something new while facing challenges. My volunteering with the hospital in a stress-free environment (unlike school Design Technology exams) has allowed me, over time, to develop a strong sense of grit and determination. My passion for entrepreneurship can partly be accredited to my will to not give up despite dozens of failures. In fact, I look at each design iteration not as a glaring defeat, but a stepping stone towards success. 

Lastly, I have been inspired by doing seva alongside skilled doctors who have chosen to dedicate their lives to helping the underprivileged. The people I have worked around have a genuine desire to help others and are doing something about it. Unlike many entrepreneurs, my fellow volunteers undertake initiatives for the betterment of society. Inspired by this, I have made social development the force behind my entrepreneurial drive. Every product I build is targeted to help needy groups: rural patients, the elderly, visually disabled people, endangered species. This supports my mission to become the best version of myself while helping others.

Reflections

If there is one thing I’ve learned from years of seva, it’s that seva builds one’s character. I have become a better person in all aspects of my life. Seva has enhanced my compassion, allowing me to develop sensitivity to others’ struggles and joys. I have gained a boosted sense of purpose by knowing that my actions positively impact others. Focusing on the needs of others has also encouraged me to build strong relationships and a sense of belonging within my community. In addition to providing the opportunity for me to actively contribute to my community’s well-being, seva has provided experiences that have developed valuable skills in me. I am lucky to have learned the importance of hard work, effort, and organization, and to have gained new skills of teamwork, problem-solving, and communication. All of these are vital for success in any field. For me, however, they have ignited a passion for entrepreneurship.