Taking the Leap
I recall the days when I was deeply contemplating leaving my full-time IT job. I was doubtful for so many reasons, worried about the pay cut, confused about whether I would regret leaving a place where I felt really comfortable, and anxious for reasons that were clear but hard to explain. For the first time, someone who had never lived without plans, took a leap out of nowhere. I decided to pursue my first fellowship.
Friends from my first job asked me if I was sure about quitting without having a new job lined up. I didn’t have all the answers, but I stood firm in my decision and handed in my resignation. During the first few months, I actually missed working with my old team members. I felt void and restless waking up to days without the work I had been doing for two years. I kept questioning my decision, asking myself if I should just go back.
Then, I gave it some time. I reflected on what truly bothered me, and I realized that I wanted to try a different path. I got selected into my first fellowship, where I contributed to digital empowerment and financial inclusion in the rural areas of Tamil Nadu. After the fellowship, I continued to work in the sector with different communities. Understanding the ground realities helped me give life to what I read, what I think, and what I speak. There were a lot of uncertainties in the beginning. Yet, very slowly, I realized that I no longer worried about what’s next the way I did before. I am no longer anxious about the unknown. I am choosing to try, and that choice itself brings so much happiness.
New Journey as a Banyan Impact Fellow
When I was selected for the Banyan Impact Fellowship, I felt so excited. I knew this fellowship would help me build on the foundation I had started laying. Having been placed with Pudiyador in Chennai, I work on the project Playquity, which focuses on Education, Gender Equity, and Sports for Development. I work on developing a life skills curriculum for girls aged 10 to 18 years in the rural areas of Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. Alongside this, I will be working on M&E and Data Analysis, areas I have not explored deeply before. It feels like a good start to contribute in a different form while building skills in areas where I never had formal training earlier.
Fellowship has become my favorite way of contributing these days. It involves a lot of trying and learning. Each experience helps me add a new layer, allowing me to carry forward learnings from one journey to the next. At this point in my life, what’s important, and what I truly enjoy about fellowships, is this path of learning, contributing, and obviously, earning. And when someone asks me now, I simply say with ease, “I’m just trying, and I’m happy.”
