Dear Usha, I hope this did not turn out too cheesy and hypocritical for your taste :) Thank you for a nice time in Tea Centre!
---Anna
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Usha Thanawala holds a Masters Degree in English Literature and worked as a University Lecturer in the past, but these days spends more time volunteering to teach under privileged students.
From Lecturer to Mother to Chairperson of National Association for the Blind to now working with underprivileged children, Usha has worn many hats. The common thread among all these roles has been her undying determination to make a difference.
Usha’s life wasn’t very different from the thousands of well educated and secure housewives in the city who have given up their professional careers for the sake of their children. But once her kids were older she chose to divert her time, attention and money towards volunteer activities beneficial to society.
Her firm beliefs in the institution of volunteer work were imbibed by her mother and her grandfather, who in their time have done a lot for the less privileged.
She started volunteer work with National Association for the Blind, and then later taught children at the Fellowship for the Physically Handicapped in Worli. These days she is associated with SOSVA and working with Hamara Foundation at Bombay Central.
Usha loves working with children and finds them very engaging.
“A person needs to be aware of their blessings in life and want to share them with others”, is her belief. Usha´s knows that as a volunteer it is difficult not to get emotionally involved, and sometimes seeing the pain of others is hard. But on the other hand it makes your pain look much smaller in comparison, says Usha, who has had her own share of difficulties in the past.
She feels that she learns a great deal from the people she meets and that sometimes her students wonder why she keeps thanking them, but she believes that they give her much more happiness than they realise.
Usha helps people on her own capacity as well, not only through organizations. She has never flinched in directly financially supporting an underprivileged person, if she finds it necessary. Her friends and relatives who trust her judgement have also been happy to contribute towards the same.
In general Usha believes that people want to help, but the conditions are discouraging. Life today is hectic and tiring and sometimes you feel helpless in the middle of all the chaos surrounding you. Still she wants to encourage people to volunteer because helping others gives you so much in return.
