beginnings
how I got started | I knew I was passionate about helping women
but didn't know it could be a career for me. I stumbled upon it. I tried
out different things to see what fit best. When I came here (to the
U.S.) I was on a dependent visa and thus legally not qualified to work. I
volunteered at at a rape crisis center, with a suicide hotline, and
then a domestic violence agency. I felt like I had the energy and a
safe, secure life because of which I could help people that were not as
fortunate. At the agency, I did crisis intervention, but rarely had the
time to step back and look at the issue through a different perspective.
why it happens, how do societies condone it, how do people live through
it? Really, I wanted to look at the connections between the private
world of the family and the outside world...So I decided to pursue a
higher degree that trained me to critically think through these issues.
inspiration
why this job?| Inherently, there is a fire burning in me for
fairness. But life isn't automatically fair, one has to strive to make
it so. I am inspired by the women in my life and the women I have had
the privilege of serving, maybe not radical feminists, but women that
have lived their feminism quietly, within the gender roles ascribed to
them. My mother was a doctor and my grandmother studied Russian (in
India). It isn't necessarily easy. I am also very inspired by the quiet
unsung heroes in the world too, everyday people whose strength of
character shines through in times of crisis.
love
why I love this job!| I love the "giving" nature of my job. The
more I give to it, the more it gives back to me. There is never a dull
moment. I love that I have been able to integrate my work at the agency,
with my policy work in the county, and with teaching, research, and
writing.
work
my typical day| It's never a typical day. I spend 12-14 hours a
day working. When I teach or write, my days are packed reading, writing,
doing research, grantwriting. That's my academic life.
My work at Maitri involves direct client service - so I might be helping
someone navigate the legal system, accompanying them to court, helping
them organize their finances, look for shelter or low incole housing. I
also create an action plan for outreach and or meetings. At the
organizational front, I am involved in fiscal responsibilities, staff
and volunteer organization, planning events for fund raising. I never
know what a day is going to turn out like. In our line of work, there is
always some fire that needs to be put out.
challenges
what they are | I think the fact that I straddle different worlds
does stretch me a bit. I have to be 100% present all the time. Often,
my own personal issues have to be put on the backburner because there is
more critical stuff that neds attention. It is very tought to be in
crisis interevention where there is rarely a moment to sit back and
breathe deeply. In domestic violence work, the lack of funding is a
challenge and the social conditioning that still privileges males and
disfranchises females is also a problem/challenge.
upside
all about growth | I began my life at Maitri as staff, than
program director, general secretary, and now President. There is a lot
of scope in this business for people who can think creatively, and work
zealously. There is also a lot of room for interdisciplinary thinkers,
people with multidimensional perspective. There will always be a need
for service oriented projects as the world continues to grow in
complexity. My advice, do not think of your identity as your job
description think of it as an informal guideline. Be adaptable,
sometimes small changes can have big impact.
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