The activity not only brought me the feeling of joy from within but upon seeing the smiles on the faces of school children and gauging their attention my heart melted. That is when I decided to take an active part in ESI activities as much as possible.

This event was a turning point in my life. I experienced so much satisfaction and happiness within myself that I hadn’t my entire life

I have been consistently taking part in ESI programs ever since. These events not only helped me give back to the society but made me a better person. Every activity that we do, we learn something about us. I learnt to be patient with children in our storytelling session (BE BRIGHT), I discovered creativity in the Paint Project and how to engage with a community that is much less privileged than we are and realised the fact that how blessed I am. I found that the happiness and satisfaction that this brings can be made viral by word of mouth so that others also experience this feeling and make our society a better place to live in. So I took a step further and applied to become the Champion for Change (CFC), an individual who lives by the values of Knowledge, Action, Care and Impact and takes the lead in all ESI activities by assessing community and NGO needs. I was selected as CFC for this year and our first workshop was held in April, 2018. It was very inspiring and captivating and I discovered the true meaning of Integrity, learned how to bring in NGOs and how to give a delightful experience to the volunteers. We discussed the various “flints” that bring all the CFCs together and motivates them to become a Champion of Change.

I had gone through a tough phase in my personal life during which my family had united in support for me. I believe that if unity and togetherness can help in resolving a personal problem, it can definitely resolve our national issues. There is a spark within each one of us and we all wish to do something for the society. Volunteering is one of the answers to that.

My Journey as a CFC began in April and I (along with other CFCs of my location) have been preparing the roadmap for the year, meeting various people, NGOs and creating new ideas and ways of bringing more activities and make it more fun for our employees. There are always many challenges we foresee but we overcome those and plan out great activities during the year for the Piramal employees to create a Lasting Impact on the Society.

My journey has just begun and I am sure it will be impactful not just for others but for me as well.

Volunteering is not just giving, it is also self-learning.

Sweta is a Compliance Manager at Piramal Foundation and she loves dancing and watching films. She also enjoys travelling and volunteering.