My Story

My Story: ‘I Was Asked To Lose Weight Or No One Will Even Look At Me’

Asmi Shah has been challenging societal norms —breaking one at a time. In her thirties, she is an adventure traveller owning a travel company and a delivery kitchen. Asmi, however, had to battle tough times to get rid of self-doubt and to embrace her truer self. Now, she is actively involved in sharing her days of struggle and spread the message of body positivity to inspire many.

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My Story: ‘Selling Tender Coconuts On Footpath, Trying To Support My Family Gives Me Immense Satisfaction’

The 33-year-old Satyavati who set up her stall to sell tender coconuts in Bengaluru’s Banashankari is a mother of two. She has been balancing her efforts to support her family financially and help her kids get a good education. But like any other businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic hit her day job badly. After one of her customers took her business online recently, it began recovering gradually.

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MyStory: “All My Life, I Was Made To Feel That Hair Is An Essential Part Of Physical Appearance”

Sravya Manasa decided to donate her hair to cancer survivors after she met some of them while she was on a tour for her dance performance. Being a professional Kuchipudi dancer, it was not easy for her to take this step. However, she wants to break the conventional definitions of beauty by shaving her head, She says that people should accept themselves just the way they are.

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MyStory: ‘Make Difference To Someone’s Childhood, All Sacrifices Would Feel Worth It’

Rahul Singla has been working on various social causes since he was in college. However, due to personal reasons, he had to stop his work after college finished. But he was determined to build a platform devoted to working towards the prevention of child sexual abuse. He started an organisation named Bachpan. His team conducts workshops on raising awareness about child sexual abuse.

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My Story: “I Was Jobless For Around Five Months Due To Pandemic And Felt Like I Had Hit Rock Bottom”

Niket Sharma started preparing for civil services exams during his third year in college. However, he was not supported by his parents for his career choice and was soon diagnosed with depression. He was jobless after the pandemic struck which made him feel directionless in life. Then, he decided to purchase a domain and start a digital marketing blog on it. It helped him to establish his freelancing career and now he wants to work passionately in this field.

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My Story

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

Saloni Sakaria was 'successful' in society's eyes, she owned a fashion label and was promising a great career. However, life took its own twists and turns, and she landed up working full-time for animals.
A small-town boy named Pradeep Bhatt from Uttarakhand became famous for designing Vir Das' outfit at the International Emmy Awards. His journey till this point has been inspiring and not short of hurdles that he surpassed.
Zainika Jagasia was born with Down syndrome. From modelling to baking delicious goodies, she has defied all odds to reach where she is with her family's love and support.
Raj Dagwar thought that the world was coming crashing down on him, and he had nobody to speak to about the same. However, after his ordeal, he realized that we need to accept others' situations as they are and be more kind.
Priyanka Banik was not even born when her brother Abhishek, who is four years older than her, was diagnosed with autism. He has always been close to his mother, but unfortunately, she passed away after suffering from cancer. Since then, Banik has been looking after her brother and fulfilling all his needs.
Sanjoli Banerjee has dedicated her entire life to fighting for a cause. From women empowerment to climate change and mental health awareness, she has battled all odds to help those in need with her family supporting her all the way.
Jazz Sethi had just entered her teens and was a mid-fielder in a football team, and was training for her upcoming match when her blood sugar levels rose excessively to 1050mg/dL.
Born and brought up in Uttarakhand, Himani Nautiyal relates to the struggles of women farmers in the region. She is using her resources to empower and improve their socio-economic background.
Inspired by her racer father, Lani Zena Fernandez from Puducherry is living the dream and breaking boundaries with one bike race at a time.
Ankit Arora, a former journalist, has been cycling for four years across rural India and creating self-sustainable alternatives with communities like mud and waste recycled homes and teaching the practice of natural farming to farmers.
The 42-year-old Abhilash Tomy was the first Indian and second Asian to complete a non-stop solo circumnavigation on a boat. He is a recipient of Kirti Chakra and Tenzig Norway National Adventure Award.
Sargam Dhawan Bhayana was bullied at a very young age because of how she looked. From breaking stereotypes in the beauty industry to helping people in need during COVID-19, she dons several hats effortlessly.
Nitesh Jaiswal did not have a privileged start to life and has lived most of his life in a chawl in Mumbai. However, his dreams of becoming a medical professional were bigger than the challenges that life threw at him.
Dr Sai Kaustuv Dasgupta stopped counting the number of fractures he had after he hit 50 fractures. Crippled with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or brittle bones disease, he believes that if one has the determination, then the sky is the limit.
Raju Kendre belongs to the tribal community living in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region. He did not let his adversities stop him from helping marginalised channelise their potential and went on to get the prestigious Chevening Scholarship.
Srivatsan Sankaran was diagnosed with total hearing loss at the age of six. He would not react to what people had to say, but would observe them intently. In 2014, he made the difficult decision to leave his IT Job and pursue his passion full-time.
Avyukth Bala is still a kid but wants to bring smiles to people's faces by taking small steps from his side. He is also a strong believer in sharing to help those in need.
Jyothi K Kumar suffers from hearing impairment since her birth. Despite that, she completed her training in fine arts and now works as a freelancer in graphic designing and painting.
A Pune-based family physician, Dr Ganesh Rakh, has been working on eradicating gender bias with his 'Save Girl Child' campaign that continues to gain momentum around the world.
Kavya Mukhija, born with a medical condition called Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita, is a wheelchair user. However, the young woman has braved several physical and psychological challenges to create a happy life for herself where she embraces her disability and has a strong message for the world.
Shakeel, 24, came from a Muslim orthodox family in Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur district. He was interested in music since childhood and performed in various gatherings and events. Things took a turn when one of his street performances went viral. Celebrities like Hrithik Roshan, Sonu Nigam and Pooja Bhatt shared his video which gained him overnight fame.
Rahul Viswanath, an IT expert, was born with a cleft palate condition. He, like most cleft kids, underwent multiple surgeries and speech therapy sessions. Apart from the physical deformities, he suffered more psychologically, with constant bullying and discrimination in society. Over the years, he learnt the art of public speaking and since then, has been speaking on various public platforms. His target is to talk on larger forums such as TEDx.
Prakhar Kotadia started a plantation drive in 2020 as a way to lift everyone's spirits during the pandemic. Now, it has evolved into 'Roopkesarivatika Charitable Foundation' that 'turns barren lands into lush green mini forest.'
Suresh Ramdas came out to his parents when he was in his 30s. Despite facing adversities, he has held his head up high and worked towards taking the conversations around LGBTQIA+ forward.