My Story

My Story: ‘Giving Up Never Was Never An Option For Me’

July 11, 2021

Emelda Gomez, a graphic designer, faced massive salary cuts after the first wave of COVID struck the world. She started exploring for alternative sources of income when she stumbled upon home-baking. Now, she manages both her job and her home-baking business.

My Story: ‘I Realized That My One Small Step Is Going To Make A Huge Difference’

July 8, 2021

In 2017, Midhun registered as a potential blood stem cell donor. Cut to May 2020 and he received a call about being a match for a blood cancer patient. Just before he was slated to travel to Bengaluru for the procedure, he came down with COVID but refused to be bogged down by it. After making a full recovery, he finally made the journey from Kerala for the procedure.

My Story: ‘Beating Cancer Is Hard, I Have Done It Six Times’

July 6, 2021

M Jayant Kandoi, a 23-year-old boy from Ajmer, is the only person in India who has defeated cancer six times. Jayant is pursuing MBA and has written three books, launched two start-ups. He runs his NGO where cancer patients are given all possible help,

My Story: From Working At Microsoft To A Self Taught Calligrapher, Life Has Come A Long Way

July 3, 2021

Mehreen Noor Rather, a 25-year-old, hailing from the capital city of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, has been doing calligraphy since the last one year. Her childhood passion for calligraphy has translated her passion for art and calligraphy into a commercial venture.

My Story: ‘Disability Couldn’t Define My Life Negatively, I Used Adversity For Innovation’

July 2, 2021

Arshad Ahmad Pandith was hit by three bullets in his spinal cord, in the year 1995, which left him paraplegic for a lifetime. Today, Arshad works at the Advanced Centre For Human Genetics, SKIMS, drives his own car, and instills hope in the young generation.

My Story: ‘Blue-Collar Workers Are Superheroes. Our Turn To Support Them’

June 28, 2021

Suyash Jain, who is an entrepreneur, started the ‘Feeding Ones In Need’ initiative to help blue-collar workers’ families by providing them ration kits during the second wave. Jain has been awarded ‘Humanitarian Award 2021’ by Global Mental Health Association (USA).

My Story: ‘Disabilities Exist Only In Our Minds And Not Bodies’

June 27, 2021

From being unable to walk 50 steps in one go, Jaishree Shinde now runs marathons with crutches. She has been an inspiration to people who think that physical disabilities can define one’s mental ability.

My Story: ‘When Others Called Me Handicapped, I Assumed They Were Mistaken’

June 15, 2021

Sumit Agarwal was born with cerebral palsy. His parents had to run from post to pillar to get him admitted in school and ensure that he receives education among others of his age. With time, he learnt more about his impairment and realized he could accomplish anything that he aspires. Now, he runs a successful PR firm and wants to make workplaces more inclusive.

My Story: ‘Adversity Does Not Discriminate, We Need To Train Our Mind Through Resilience, Patience & Resolve’

May 29, 2021

Roshan Mathew wanted to join the Indian Army. After completing his basic military training, he was moving on to the second leg of the process when he sustained an injury during an obstacle course and had a compound fracture on his left arm and a dislocated elbow. He had to let go of that dream but he braved odds to recover in a while and is currently attending college to complete his education.

My Story: “Our Condition Is Like Cabin Crew Of Plane On Verge Of Crash While Pilot Is Sleeping”

May 27, 2021

Dr Jagriti Varshney has been working on the frontline since the pandemic situation began. She says that as doctors they are doing as much as they can to help the situation. Staying away from their families, putting the interest of our patients above anything else; the journey has not been easy so far. She requests everyone to follow COVID related norms and stay vigilant.

My Story: ‘Dad Faces Risk Of An Infection Every Hour Treating Patients At The Hospital’

May 24, 2021

He hasn’t had any days off. Half a day, on a Sunday, is the most he can get. He does not get to repair his spectacles that have become loose and need tightening or get his hair cut. His greys are more noticeable than they were a year ago. The most we can do as a family for him, is feed him a hearty breakfast before the grind begins and ensure that he gets his sleep at night, which on occasions get disturbed by emergency phone calls.

My Story: “Whether It’s Waterlogging, Cyclone Or Pandemic, I Never Hesitate To Step Out To Do My Duty”

May 24, 2021

Hemanshi Kamani works as a freelance photojournalist with Reuters. She is one out of the six females working as a photojournalist in print media in Mumbai. As the nature of her work assignment demands her to be out on the field, she is constantly hustling. However, she is now used to the nature of her work and wants that photojournalists should also be treated as frontline workers.

My Story

Real-life, first-person accounts that remind us every human has a story to tell, experiences to share, and actions to inspire.

My Story: ‘My Vision Impairment And Vitiligo Couldn’t Stop Me Living Life With Dignity’

Neha Agarwal is a project manager. She is visually challenged and has Vitiligo. However, she curved her weaknesses into strengths, and along with her regular job, she is one of the strong supporters of diversity, equity and inclusion.

My Story: ‘I Underwent 32 Shock Therapies, Intense Medication & Trauma; My Teenage Years Were Challenging’

Sangeetha Param (28) has always dealt with insecurity, low self-esteem, and worthlessness as she never felt good enough. After many psychotropic analyses, she was diagnosed with Bipolar Type 2, making her teenage years the most challenging phase of her life.

My Story: ‘Think Twice Before Throwing Anything, Little Creativity & Enthusiasm Can Transform Things Around’

Srishti Kucheria is a 17-year-old artist who upcycles regular everyday items like clothes, shoes and stationaries with different art forms and customisations. In 2018, she started 'Caught in Colours' as a platform to share her artwork with the world. She has sold her painted, customised canvas shoes to Singapore and America, besides India.

My Story: ‘People Would Often Ask Dad To Marry Me Off, But He Would Say He Has Raised His Daughter To Become Scientist’

Dipika Chandra was born and brought up in Delhi to humble parents. Despite financial issues, her parents spent little savings to ensure that she got a good education. Being a single girl child and losing both her parents never deterred her from pursuing her dreams of becoming a scientist.

My Story: ‘Journey From Being Airport Cleaner To Tech Hub Founder Wasn’t Easy, But Worth It’

Founder of a web development company, Aamir Qutub, comes from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, where he nurtured his dream of studying abroad and owning a business someday. A decade ago, he enrolled himself in an MBA course at Australia’s Deakin University and worked as an airport cleaner side by side.

My Story: ‘My Interest In Cooking Came From My Mother & Mumbai Street Food Vendors, Who Made People Smile Through Their Recipes’

Sanjyot Keer is a 29-year-old entrepreneur, chef and digital content creator. Six years back, he found YFL and built a state-of-the-art culinary space to produce breath-taking recipe videos. He started to take Indian food to the global gourmet diaspora, while making it simple, exciting and accessible to the foodies.

My Story: ‘Worked For 3 Yrs As Milkman With A Dream To Feature On Magazine Cover’

Yasir Khan, a farmer's son, is now a personal fitness trainer, transformation expert, and fitness model in Dubai. Since childhood, he struggled with financial constraints and used to sell milk on the streets to make ends meet.

My Story: ‘My Father Threw Me From Balcony When I Was A Month Old As He Didn’t Want A Girl Child’

Niyati Chetransh is a 10-year-old trained pianist by interest. Her father tried to kill her multiple times as he considered daughters a burden on parents. Besides Piano, Niyati plays 16 more instruments, including Keyboard, Ukulele, Tabla, Flute, among others and aims to be a music director one day.

My Story: ‘I’m The Youngest E-Gamer Of India & Want To Represent My Country At International Stage’

A student of a second standard, Aakarsh Chaudhary, also known as VivOne, is India's youngest e-gamer who streams games online. At the age of four, his parents introduced him to online gaming, and since then, he wishes to represent India on an international stage.

My Story: ‘Being A Mother Of 9-Month Old, I Defied All Odds To Become What I’m Today’

Shabeena Killedar comes from the town of Davangere, Karnataka. She completed her studies in 2014, and her father, the breadwinner for her family, left in 2016. She defied all odds to achieve her dreams after a career break of more than five years.

My Story: ‘I Come From A Conservative South Indian Family Where Education Is Not Priority For Girls’

Carrying the label of ‘homemaker turned career woman,’ Lakshmi Shankar Iyer had challenges right from her growing-up years. But with her dedication and brilliance, she took up challenges that came her way and converted all of them into opportunities.

My Story: ‘From Not Being Accepted By Society To Becoming A Queer Entrepreneur, Journey Wasn’t Easy’

Navel Nazareth, who is 26 and identifies as Queer, is passionate about writing and has worked for a national newspaper. He faced numerous challenges and problems since childhood because of his gender identity. But he never left hope and now aims to empower the LGBTQIA+ community.

My Story: ‘DJing Is Such A Gratifying Profession, I Would Happily Lose Sleep And Spend My Nights Preparing Sets For Gigs’

Priyamvada Grover is a DJ who plays music ranging from hip-hop, funk and soul to grime, break-beats and heavy bass. She also works in the public policy sector, which is her day job. Before this, she served as a reporter, covering the economy, human rights, and the power sector.

My Story: ‘It Did Not Matter To Me Or My Family That I Couldn’t See, My Hard Work And Dedication Counted’

Resham is a professional singer featured on various tv shows and her work has been acknowledged by Palak Muchhal, Ajay Devgn and many more. Despite the challenges, she is now working as a solo artist who manages her own brand and runs a youtube channel she creates covers and also works on her own singles.

My Story: ‘Music Is My Solace When Things Get Difficult’

Ananya Halarnkar is a singer with autism and is also learning to play the piano and can play guitar & harmonium. She has won several prizes in music and is a part of a six-pack band, set up by Yash Raj Films.

My Story: ‘I’m The First Girl From My Village Who Took Education, It Takes Courage To Stand Out In This Society’

19-year-old girl Aarushi Ranjan comes from the Ratanpur village in the Sitamarhi district of Bihar. She is the first female in her village who showed courage and took education in an English medium school as her parents were not conservative like other villagers.

My Story: ‘What Mountains Will Teach You, No Classroom Ever Will’

Dr. Varuna Raina is an ordinary Kashmiri Pandit woman with extraordinary grit who arose from a displaced childhood and near fatal head injury to become a doctor, mountaineer, athlete, yoga teacher, writer, mindfulness practitioner, and the first from J&K to scale Kala Nag at 6,387 meters.

My Story: ‘I Became An Orphan When I Was 15, And I Have Earned Enough, But Don’t Have Anyone To Celebrate With’

A 26-year-old boy from Indore, Manoj More, lost his parents to severe diseases when he was 15. He never left hope and struggled to achieve everything his parents wanted. The absence of his parents creates a void in him as he can't celebrate his success with them.

My Story: ‘Cancer Taught Me To Cherish Life And Its Simple Joys That We All Take For Granted’

Dipankar Bhattacharjee has been a cancer survivor for the last 10 years. From undergoing chemotherapy for six years to surviving major spinal surgery, he has navigated through all crises that struck in these years.

My Story: ‘Art Frees You From All Of The World’s Heaviness, I Hope My Artisans Find Freedom Through Their Creative Genius’

Isha Singh started her career as a banker but was always inclined towards art and social service. In 2007, she started Art Laureate and later set up 'The Kalaa Store', a Social Enterprise to promote local artists across India.

My Mental Health Journey to Self-Acceptance and Self-Love

At first, I refused to accept that I could be gay and I concentrated on creating lies and situations to make myself believe that I am straight.

My Story: ‘Gauri And I Feel Privileged To Get Married With Family Support, It Was A Surreal Feeling’

Deepa Kollipara is a 29-year-old lawyer living in San Francisco, California. She learned about her sexual orientation at 23, when she felt emotionally connected to women. She met her wife Gauri on a dating app, and after dating for several years, both recently got married in a fat Indian wedding in the US.

My Story: ‘Once Vitiligo Was A Nightmare For Me, Now It’s My Face Of Confidence’

An eyeful and adroit digital content creator, Aastha Shah has marked her presence in social media owing to her courage and sagacity. Afflicted by vitiligo at a young age, the ailment turned out to be a blessing in disguise, extending to her new dimensions of self-acceptance and enthralling confidence.

My Story: ‘Faced Humiliation From All As My Mother Was A Flower Vendor, Now I Earn Six-Digit Income’

Coming from a village in Chennai, a son of a flower vendor, Nirmal faced a lot of humiliation in his early days from friends and relatives. He decided to change things on his own and now earns a six-digit monthly income.