How I learned about North South Foundation:

I have been associated with NSF since 2000. I first learned about NSF from Raghavendra when I was asked to be a judge in the vocabulary contest at the Regional Spelling/Vocabulary Bee held at Groton. I wasn’t sure what to expect because until that point I had not heard about NSF or the spelling bee contests held by NSF. What I saw was the execution of a very simple idea of involving parents/kids here in the US and catering to their needs and thereby encouraging them to relate to the bigger need for spreading the light of education in India. I was really impressed with Raghavendra and the other volunteers’ dedication. Thereafter, I participated/volunteered for the walkathon which was held later that year. Once again I learnt about the simplicity of holding such events. There’s a lot of hard-work involved on the part of the organizers/volunteers but in principle the idea is simple -- we can have a pleasure outing in nature and use that as a vehicle to spread awareness about the scholarships that NSF provides to deserving but poor students in India.

About My Family & Myself:

I grew up in different states all over India thus getting a first-hand experience of the “unity in diversity” theme that we were all taught in schools. I did my undergraduate studies in Jadavpur University, Calcutta and then moved to USA. After finishing my Ph.D. (chemistry) from University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, I did my post doctorate at Columbia University, New York and thereafter have been involved in Cancer research at a pharmaceutical co. (Pfizer). I have one sister who also lives in USA while my parents live in Calcutta - I wish I could be with them and be able to help them out.

What I enjoy most in my association NSF:

The thing that really attracted me to NSF (and still does) is the dedication of the volunteers that one can derive inspiration from. My brief association with NSF has also served as a great learning experience since as a volunteer one gets to meet/interact with many different individuals from all walks of life. The one thing that has been reinforced is that every person brings something unique to the table and there is much to learn from each and everybody.

It has always been a dream of mine of returning to India to do some service-oriented projects for the betterment of the poorer sections of our society. I would love to see a better India where there is a change for the better in society/people/attitudes/educational system/infrastructure/poverty levels etc. I have realized that I do not need to wait until I go back to be part of that change. Every little drop counts and I consider myself fortunate to have been able to be part of the NSF organization which in its own little way is contributing toward the betterment of bright but impoverished children back in India.

The best thing that we can do with this life of ours is to be able to give back something to our community/society/country be it India (motherland) or US (adopted land). Whether through spelling bees or through the walkathons, the thing that I enjoy most about being a volunteer in NSF is that it allows me to bring the concept of “serve-all” into practice.

Other things I would like to share:

NSF is a family that welcomes one and all to be part of it. NSF is essentially a flat organization. Every volunteer is charged with engendering the fruition of any idea that he/she brings to the table. The beauty of the volunteerism therein lies in what we can make out of our own efforts together with the help/encouragement of the other volunteers.

Whether it is the individual who served water to all in a Finals event a couple of years ago or the mother of a child in a regional bee this year who gave up encouraging her own child but started helping out the hamstrung volunteers to ensure that the overall event was a success, getting to know these people really brings tears of joy as these individuals look for nothing in return but provide selfless service. There is a service-mindedness in each and every one of us. It takes the combination of timing and circumstance to bring it out in the open and when that happens it can work wonders and can really touch the people around us.