When you get hit by life’s storms, do you let yourself wither away, or brave the storm and come out stronger than ever? When Ruby Ann chose the latter, she knew that was the best decision of her life. Not only has she been smiling through it all, she has also been the reason behind a hundred other smiles. A behavioral, Language and Culture trainer with over 17 years of experience, including a stint as training manager at Apple, an RJ, a social activist and someone who’s traveled the length and breadth of four different continents, Ruby Ann’s life is a repository of inspiring stories.
Nine years ago, Ruby Ann went through an abusive marriage and a heart-breaking divorce. And this is what she has to say. “The only reason I survived was because I had a strong mind and an education to back me up. I now know that whatever life throws at me, I can pick myself up and move on. A lot of times, life dishes out stuff that’s unfair, if you sit and think whether you deserved it, you are wasting time. I have two kids and I had to make sure that my dream for them was not shattered.”
While it might not be easy for most people to accept injustice, Ruby truly believes that everything has a purpose. And her purpose in life is to empathize with and help others. In 2011, she started an NGO called BEAR India - an acronym for Being There, Encouraging, Aiding and Reaching Out. She and her small team including her kids and two other volunteers reach out to destitute women with no financial capability and help them become financially independent. They teach them candle making, tailoring, embroidery and soap making for free. “If they get good at it, we send them to people who can hire them. And because I enjoy fashion designing, I employ some of them for myself. ”
A jack of all trades, RJ Ruby Ann who hosts the ‘Night Train’ (retro music) show on Chennai Live 104.8 FM, is now on a break, looking for sponsors, but she has her hands full. Every weekend, she gathers street children and tells them stories with the intention of making them better human beings. And who could have better stories to tell than someone who’s traveled as much as she has. From landing in Abidjan, Coute d’Ivore during a coup and seeing nothing but bloodshed all around to watching the local tribes in Africa perform Vodoo to sleeping in the wide open terrain in Kenya with friends from the Masai tribe with wild animals all around, one wouldn’t want to miss out on her stories. “No amount of education can teach you what you learn when you travel. It’s nothing like what you see in the media or read in books. You have to experience it.”
Ask her what inspires her to keep helping people every day in different capacities and she says, “There is a certain amount of satisfaction when you impart knowledge to someone and teach them to stand on their feet that is second to none. Everyone wants that one person they can reach out to. You just have to identify them. If I can motivate one person a day, I can build a happy community. There’s no special recognition needed because that’s what we’re all meant to do. I just hope my story inspires other women to stand strong,” she says and quickly adds, “I am not a feminist!”
Reach out: www.facebook.com/RJRubyAnn/
