CHENNAI: Inspire, motivate, learn, enjoy. During our recent tête-a-tête with 12-year-old Hasini Lakshmi Narayanan, a TEDx speaker, YouTuber and blogger, these four words become the key to understanding her enterprising and inimitable thought process. “We are all wired the same way. But what we choose to do with it in our ingenious ways, makes us all unique,” says the class 8 student, who, in June 2020, started a YouTube channel — The First Step — to interact and interview fellow achievers and in the process, ignite other minds.
“The first step is always important to achieve our goals however big or small they may be. My idea for the channel was to interview inspirational youngsters and showcase their story to the world. Through the channel, I wanted children to take ownership of the change that they may want to see. So, the content is created by children for children, who will go on to become the future of tomorrow’s world,” shares Hasini.
Unlocking dreams
The young creative credits her father, an entrepreneur who runs a leadership training company, for honing her public speaking skills. “I am only in class 8. However, my exposure to the events that my father used to conduct introduced me to many eloquent and inspirational speakers. I imbibed my public speaking skills by listening to them. One of the turning moments of my life was when I heard Sujith Kumar, founder of Maatram foundation, speak at an awards function. It was very motivating and pushed me further to focus on bettering my skills. But I have to confess, I am hyperactive and that sometimes renders me restless while listening to talks. But I’ve learned to streamline that energy, tap on it and put it to good use,” shares the recipient of awards including the Global Kids Achiever Award by Dream Catcher and Teenprenuer Award by ThinkStartup.
Giving us a peek into how The First Step took shape, she recalls how the lockdown played a vital role in making her realise her dream. “It was only in the last few years that I discovered my passion for public speaking. It became a path to me and that led me to participate in every literary competition; I was part of the debate club and whatnot. I was enjoying every bit of my newfound passion. This was until the pandemic and lockdown last year. Since everything moved online it became hard to enjoy the bounties of public speaking. But Father’s Day last year ushered in a new beginning. Amid the lockdown, my father and I ideated and decided to interview children and surprise their parents. When this video was well-received, my parents suggested I start my own YouTube channel to interview young achievers and that flagged the beginning of a very interesting episode in my life,” enthuses Hasini.
Learning by listening
She has so far interviewed around 60 protégées. Her channel with over 1,000 subscribers features interviews with children between ages seven to 17, who have created ripples in different fields — from farming, robotics, environment, athletics, storytelling, culinary, music and art to literature. “My father helps me in networking with the outside world and finding such wonderful narratives. All the interviewees who have featured in my channel have inspired me, and I have had several takeaways from their experiences. The hope is that more children see it and draw the courage to pursue their goals. It’s a beautiful cycle of getting inspired and inspiring others,” she explains.
A live event on her YouTube channel in September 2020 saw 1,000-odd children from across India interacting with young entrepreneurs. “This left them motivated and it also led to me being invited for the young reporter role by ‘News Shuttle’ and ‘Brainfeed’ (two leading magazines featuring works of children). I am also a VJ for the Avatar Live channel and Aval Glitz. I enjoy new experiences and never say no to any new opportunities. If we don’t try something out, we’ll never know if it interests us, would we?” she asks.
An art enthusiast, for Hasini, self-care is equally important as her other passions. “I have been part of several vocational training classes. However, it was art that interested me the most and I continue to paint. The practice is very important to me and it makes me feel relaxed. I think it’s important that everyone finds one such activity that lets them unwind. If you are consumed by stress, you stop enjoying the process of working towards your dreams. And if you don’t enjoy the process and work for the sake of it, is there even a point? I am still young and not riddled by a lot of responsibilities but I hope I always remember this to be present and enjoy the journey, wherever it takes me,” she shares.
To watch the interviews, visit Hasini’s YouTube channel The First Step or visit www.thefirststephasini.com