With 2020 almost coming to an end, the world has now known the value of several things — several little things we ignored previously.

From that boring job to the old ceiling of your home, that constantly boring food to the access of education, internet, sanitary napkins, healthcare supplies and what now, people would have realised that they are truly lucky if they have the basics — just the basics!

But think about those people who didn’t even have access to these basics! Think about the people who actually never had all of these basics! The pandemic may have taken the access, the luxury of having do waqt ki roti from many, but let’s not forget that a large portion of our society has yearned for these basics since like forever! For whom, even the basic education, hygiene, a toilet in their house and a simple meal is luxury.

And let’s not forget that there has also been a small fraction who never stopped working for these people — for their betterment, welfare, bright future, and rights. The only goal for these people have been the betterment of society and the betterment of these deprived people. And these people are an inspiration, a source of motivation and idol for many unknown faces.

Let me introduce you to some of these good souls and get you an instant dose of your Monday motivation!

Ashweetha Shetty

She was born to a couple, who used to be beedi rollers, in a poor orthodox family in Mukkudal — a small South Indian village — where girl children were not celebrated and considered a liability to the family!

But nothing stopped her from chasing her dreams, from creating a life for herself — and all it took was a tiny moment of courage and an autobiography of Helen Keller — to realise that no one else, but she had the power of transforming her life.

A graduate in Business Administration, Ashweetha Shetty somehow chanced upon a Tamil magazine talking about the Young India Fellowship. From creating an email id to borrowing a friend’s phone to fill the application, she did everything to fulfil her dreams. After completing her fellowship, she worked for a year and started the Bodhi Tree Foundation, which works with rural youth and helps them develop their life skills and soft skills and encourage them to dream big and aspire more. Read her entire story here.

Meera Shenoy

Meera Shenoy started Youth4Jobs with a dream of making young India self-reliable despite all the odds and conditions like physical/ hearing/ speech disability. And eventually, what started years back with one centre in a city turned into 100s of centres across 22 states and a family of 160 people.

Youth4Jobs trains the rural youth with disabilities for two months, without any fees. They help them develop their life skills, communication skills, computer skills, etc. and helps them get a job in different services sectors like retail, BPO, hospitality, logistics, etc. She also has a dedicated team that keeps checking the current job vacancies and helps the youths get a job.

It was her sheer dedication and love for others that made her initiative recognised by people across the world as well as the government. Read her entire story here.

Sangita Iyer

Sangita Iyer, a Nari Shakti Puraskar Awardee, did Bachelor’s in Biology & Ecology, Masters in Environmental Education & Communications, and a Diploma in Broadcast Journalism. Her love for elephants began when she was only three years old.

Sangita has worked as a broadcaster for 11 years before transitioning into documentaries, film-making, and starting her own non-profit organisation. 

It’s been seven years since she started her mission to save the elephants and create awareness among the general public. Her non-profit organisation, ‘Voice for Asian Elephants Society’, conducts several projects and programs to support her cause. Read her entire story here.

Shantha Ragunathan

Shantha was born amidst extreme poverty, had lost her parents at the age of six and was married in an extremely poorer family. Life was hard — but it became harder after her children were born — she was unable to make ends meet and support her two kids.

It was during her tenure at that office when she heard of self-help groups (SHGs) and Shantha believed that this could alleviate her poverty.

Shantha’s self-help groups (SHGs) AKA microfinance group started with buying cows and selling their milk, and the work kept expanding over time. All this while, she impacted hundreds of women and helped them generate their own income source. Her SHGs also serve as a model for women in other villages. She helps other women begin from scratch, and she continues to inspire others to move forward in their lives. Read her entire story here.

Malvika Mathur

Malvika Mathur lived for her children first and then followed her passion and fulfilled her dream of creating something which’s not only mind-fulfilling but also sustainable and people-friendly!

Her brand LabelEeshav is a one-stop-shop for all garment requirements; interestingly named after her kids Eesha and Aarav. It caters from 0 months onwards — stands for sustainable fashion, eliminates the middle man and connects the consumers to the weavers directly. The idea is also to recreate and remodel existing clothes to avoid more landfill. 

The venture also supports small women artisans by selling their handmade accessories directly to the audience. This way, she is not only helping artisans but also several women who cannot leave their house to work outside. Read her entire story here.

Infano encourages every woman to come forward, stand for each other and follow their dreams despite all the struggles and hardships. If you know someone whose story must be heard, please tag us in the comments below! #InfanoWomen