By Volunteer Barsha Bharati, FHI Bhubaneswar
I was waiting for the NISER bus at Acharya Vihar, she came to me and asked to buy a pen. She had only three pens. I asked her, “Are you going to school?” She said, “Yes, but please buy a pen.” Then suddenly I bought one and my friend bought another. She was trying to cross the road. I asked her again, “Why are you selling these two pens, what about the third one?? I can buy it too.” She said, “My father gave me these three for my study purposes but I need only one. But he is unable to afford to buy an MBD guide for me. I sold these two pens for 20 rupees, got an extra 5 rupees on each one and I will buy another two and again sell it tomorrow. Like this, I will earn money and buy that guide before my half-yearly examination. Then I will become first in my school and my father will be happy.” I was shocked. What an ignited mind!! She had already calculated not only her market venture and but also profit. Is she the one who needs a guide book to perform well in the school exam? After that what will be her next goal? Or what about her life, her dreams? Does she have one? When I was lost in these thoughts, she crossed the road, vanished in front of my eyes but remained inside me.
Nearly after a month.
My family was busy in celebrating Vijayadashami as well as my 23rd birthday. Everyone was wishing me luck and happiness. But for me, it was pathetic. My brain was busy in the analysis of my past endeavours; both successes and failures. I had lost myself somewhere while struggling with many ups and downs of life and facing many rejections. Eventually, I set up my mind to thank everyone for all their wishes. I checked every status, appreciated their efforts to wish me. Still, I am unable to feel happy. On one particular picture, I stopped. It was Soumya’s post, of an Fly Higher India – FHI event. The smiling faces of children just rushed my adrenaline. I asked her, ‘Hey, I want to join!’. She shared the link. Without a second thought, I submitted the form to join as a volunteer. That submission button boosted my dopamine level. I felt happy. It was like, “Yes, I came to this earth with a purpose, and finally found it with FHI.”
The bridge between these two stories is my inclination towards Dr Kalam’s ‘Ignited Minds’. According to him, “The scarcity of resources is not the cause of our problems. Our problems originate in our approach towards them.”
That little brainy girl had the capital of thinking, a way to enterprise and hard work as a solution. But no one told her she is efficient to score well with a spirit of inquiry, creativity and deep understanding of every subject with a little skill and expertise. I want to be that one person, the guide for all the examinations, she is going to face in her life. Sadly, I never got a chance.
But, through Fly Higher India organisation, I am conveying life skills to many ignited minds like her, whom I am afraid to lose. So I am in.
For what you’re looking for? Aren’t you afraid of losing those ignited minds? Join FHI. Let’s Fly Higher with India’s future.
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