My life has been a tapestry woven with threads of diverse experiences. I have navigated the corporate world, dipped my toes into the fashion industry, and have found joy in teaching English to international students to boost their employability. 

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A few years before the pandemic, in need of a wellbeing reset, I planned a month-long sabbatical from work in my hometown Kalimpong. This was a place steeped in cherished childhood memories. But, it was during this extended stay when I was confronted with the harsh realities of life in the neighboring areas.

The extraordinary resilience of the local women juggling responsibilities, often in the face of huge individual sacrifices, profoundly impacted me. Their strength in adversity inspired me. It also made me wonder what they would have done differently if they didn’t have to sacrifice so much on a daily basis.

I began to reflect on the power of privilege in a much deeper sense. 

 

It brought a wave of recollections of how I have hustled through a lot of unexpected turns in my 20s. Numerous times where I had to start from scratch, patiently rebuild, navigate every setback, take care of myself, create space to celebrate the mini milestones, and most importantly, protect myself from the pressures of not always meeting the world’s expectations of what success should look like. Even in such trying times, I was fortunate to have known how to access opportunities to keep moving forward towards self development and mental wellbeing. This, unfortunately, is a luxury denied to many. This realization fueled a growing sense of responsibility. 

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Co-founding Ahora was a natural progression. It was a decision to channel my experience into creating a platform for underprivileged girls to tap into their fullest potential, in the way they choose to. To discover appropriate techniques for more self awareness and confidence. To find ways to create opportunities for themselves in an environment that may continue to limit them. We are told what to do and why, but rarely do we understand the how. This is a critical gap.

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Ahora, to me, is more than just an organization; it is a personal mission. My journey to write my story and be my own strongest advocate continues. And, I hope I can empower the young voices of Ahora Girls to identify their strengths and own their journey from early on itself.