KINJAL SHAH

Kinjal Shah is a biomedical engineer. She works towards the slum education community. She has co-founded and is a trustee member of Shwas NGO - which works for slum child education. They pick a certain community and educate parents on the value of education. In the coming phases, they would rent out the necessary infrastructure, hire full-time educators, and seek to have one instructor for every 5-6 kids. In this approach, they ensure that they give not only the best learning infrastructure but also a highly close-knit, personal learning atmosphere.

What is your favourite word?
Persistence. That's the word I can think of when I look back into my 15 years of journey. I kept moving forward irrespective of what challenges came in the way. Of course, there will be difficult times that will hit you right on the face, but we shouldn’t stop.

What was the moment in your life that made you Blossom into the person you are today?
We initiated Shwas NGO with a group of 4-5 friends. We had been working into this for almost three years and they had progressively moved on to other projects. A few of them relocated abroad for new jobs, while others pursued different opportunities. At the time, I felt obliged to hold strong and protect the wonderful things we had begun. We were able to assist so many children in just three years. We gave the children the freedom to think, imagine, and achieve their goals. Giving up on Shwas NGO was like giving up on a child's hope. I also had a strong belief in what we were accomplishing. So that's when I decided to continue this quest. It was all about bringing out the best in me and making the children pleased with my talents. .

What would you want the young boys & girls to learn from your journey?
People are still sceptical about pursuing an unusual career as a full-time job. I want to tell them that they can. Everyone who wishes to pursue a career in social entrepreneurship may give it a second thought. After going through my own experience, I can confidently say that it is a legitimate career opportunity. When a person chooses a profession that their family and community do not understand, they will undoubtedly experience difficulties. There will be some consequences, but that is the risk that comes with taking alternative methods to life. Challenges do not make something impossible; they merely make it more difficult. If you have the will and determination to take on new challenges every day, every odd choice will turn out to be the best decision you could have made.