There are people who come from affluent and prestigious families and become angels in disguise for the underprivileged community. Having lived a luxurious life, they often decide to walk the talk and foray into philanthropy and charity. One such example is Aparna Goenka of the charitable organisation, Mannat.
Goenka is more of a doer than talker. She says her biggest influence has been her grandmother, Ginni Devi Modi, wife of the late K.N. Modi. Her philosophy is deeply entrenched in the importance of giving back to the community. So whether visiting an eye camp or an orphanage, she was always overwhelmed.
Goenka spoke to us about being involved with charity: “Three years ago, I was in a bit of a limbo. I had always been involved in social work, but had taken a little break. One day my friend called me and said that there is a fabulous festival called Daan Week in the month of October. Our view was to make it interactive and get more people involved.”
The idea was clear for Goenka, to bring friends from similar backgrounds and similar walks of life who wanted to give back, but needed a little guidance. It was not about handing over a check, or about the distribution of money and things. Soon, her close friends Mahip Tandon and Jyoti Shastri joined the venerable and notable cause.
The response was positive. Their focus was on proper hygiene and good food. They were able to distribute around 500 hygiene kits and 1,200 grain kits. They visited slums like Govindpuri, and educated people on hygiene, distributed kits, food and spent quality time with women and children.
Mahip Tandon said, “Even though it was about humble beginnings, we have always been hands-on and involved in every aspect of Mannat. Today we have children ranging from 4 to 15 under Mannat’s wing. These are huge success stories. We try to ensure they go to school and then we are there to provide after-school support.” The ideo here is that there are huge gaps in learning and extracurricular activities.
“Mannat aims to ensure these children are on a par with their more fortunate counterparts. Be it activities ranging from music, sports, movies,” stated Goenka. “Sometimes it can also be just about pampering them. For my 50th birthday and during Diwali, it was about buffet treat of yummy food, music, ice cream and going home with return gifts.”
Mannat has grown from strength to strength over the last few years. Goenka concluded, “With the name meaning ‘a vow of joy of giving’, we are lucky that we can find slums, schools and hospitals where we can distribute, add value through education and impact the lives of children and women, in a formal and systematic manner.”