BENGALURU: A child with no address. And in some cases, no family either. What these children need is that gentle push for that leg up. As debates rage on on the ways to help the less fortunate, her helping hands are giving such children a big boost. Meet Shailaja Dayanand, the woman with a mission. The IIM Kozhikode graduate works for a leading MNC in Bengaluru.
Apart from being an avid Instagrammer, reader and a photographer, she dedicates her time for the all-r ound development of children of labourers and rescued children. Since her college days she wanted to start an NGO. This dream became a reality when she founded Meraki NGO BLR on January 15 this year. Drawing inspiration from Jessica Pearson of the TV series Suits, she created a group of volunteers at work two years ago and organised activities for the less privileged.
This also helped her meet individuals from the social development sector which motivated her to start the NGO. Why Meraki? Meraki is a Greek word that means ‘to do something with soul, creativity, or love; when you leave a piece of yourself in your work’. With an aim to create a not-for-profit platform that brought together creative, artistic and passionate individuals who want to use their skills to bring about social development, Meraki was formed.
“We use the medium of art, music, sports and education to build a better tomorrow for the underprivileged kids who otherwise do not get an opportunity to showcase or pursue their talents or hone their skills. Also, we are working towards helping people explore their talents by giving them a platform to express themselves while teaching and inspiring kids and people simultaneously,” says Shailaja.
The core team comprises individuals who work on different projects of the NGO. The other members include Sumukh Bharadwaj, Bandeep Jaswal, Indira D (Shailaja’s mother), Spoorthy Rao, Rashmita Selvaraj, Santosh George, Naresh Addanki and Senthil Acharya. The NGO is currently working with children in four locations across Bengaluru – Panathur, Lalbagh, Shantinagar and Srirampuram. It covers 35 children at Panathur, 55 at Lalbagh, 50 at Shantinagar and 11 at Srirampuram.
“We have set up libraries at Prasanna Jyo t i A s h r a m , Puttenahalli; Rainbow Home for Girls, Kodihalli; Lakshya Udaan Home, Lalbagh; and have sent books to children at the Model Primary Government school, Jalahalli,” says Shailaja. Meraki helps in connecting volunteers and donors with organisations and NGOs based on their areas of interest.
Spoorthy Rao, volunteer in teaching English says, “Through Meraki, Shailaja is bringing together volunteers to not only drive the initiatives that are close to her heart, but also helping them realise the causes that they individually feel are important to them.” “Next, we’ll be organising several soft skills and career counselling sessions for older children and help them with opportunities that will help them get jobs,” says Shailaja.