Sewa International - Geetanjali Virmani Talks Helping India Fight the Covid Crisis Through Providing Equipment and More
“When India was struggling with COVID, Sewa International was able to quickly raise more than $5,000,00 funds in USA and purchased and shipped 9000+ oxygen concentrators and more.” A realtor by profession and giver by Nature, today’s woman dreamer Geetanjali Virmani shares her journey in her role as Event Coordinator - Boston. Sewa International, the many wonderful initiatives to get involved with at SEWA, the key leaders behind the Boston chapter, and her next big dream! As she beautifully puts it, “I feel It is important for all women to give back in life, as women is the full circle, within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.” Enjoy her story below!
1) Tell us your story. What inspired you to join SEWA, and give back? Why do you think it is important for all women to give back in life?
I'm a Realtor by profession and a giver by nature. Giving back to Needy was inbuilt in me from childhood. My paternal grandma always stood for others in community that’s what I have been watching since then and it totally came in blood. Her ideology was no matter what you get in life-Share and stay positive. In whatever mode or method you can give just simply try to HELP. and I have tried my little bit to try to be of a small piece to support Sewa International.
I got Introduced to Sewa International through Ashwani Garg ji, while I was struggling with my emotions and facing a challenging situation of loosing my mom to cancer. I feel It is important for all women to give back in life, as women is the full circle, within her is the power to create, nurture and transform. She is a giver by nature.
Here is what I follow - It's about who you've lifted up, who you've made better. It's about what you've given back. — Denzel Washington.
2) SEWA has done incredible work in helping India at this time. Tell us more about the work and projects SEWA has been doing to help India's Covid relief efforts?
When India was struggling with COVID, Sewa International was able to quickly raise more than $5,000,00 funds in USA and purchased and shipped 9000+ oxygen concentrators, 1500+ Bipap machines, 250+ ventilators, 10,000+ hygiene kits, 40500 pulse oxy-meters.
The main focus is on tribal and rural areas, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, creating oxygen generation network across the country to make India future-ready Mission is to build 100 oxygen generation plants.
To name just a few projects, Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission (Attappady)Kerala with the support of Sewa International, distributed essential and prescribed medicines to tribal families during the lockdown period in the last one month. Volunteers distributed medicines to the families of COVID-19 Patients and villagers through the village health workers after tele-consultation with physicians.
Melghat Maharashtra support given to Tribal areas in collaboration with Dr Ashish Satav.Many more such projects being supported back home specifically to tribals and areas where there is lack of medication and basic necessities or education to fight COVID.
3) What are some ways people can get involved in helping India, and in joining SEWA? What are your suggestions in general for people looking for different ways to give back?
,Sewa doesn’t need any forms to be filled for them to become a member or a volunteer, show up and start contributing is my motto to all volunteers who want to get involved.
Best way is to stay connected via social media as social media teams puts all information about how funds generated are being used in India and abroad.
1) Feed the Hungry Program - We cook at corunm Homeless Shelter and feed the homeless every 3rd Saturday of the month. We run 2 major food drives in a year where we support many Food pantries in NE area. We work with other local authorities in distributing food.
2) Lead Program
Lead is a engagement program for current High School students & College youth. Through this program, students interact with community leaders and successful professionals through engaging symposiums and field visits throughout the months of June and July. t is also a great opportunity to develop leadership skills, teamwork, organizational skills, serve community and have fun along the way, in addition to achieving Sewa recognition and President’s award.LEAD offers volunteer opportunities to parents and families as well.
3) Our ongoing Covid relief fundraiser efforts for both India and USA
4) Family Services : Sewa local team helps needy families in whatever aspect may it be financial or may it be social. May it be a Counseling need or a need to find a car or to get tuition help for kids and could also be supporting a women with abuse or separation Issue.
5) UPCOMING Events where anyone willing to contribute time as volunteer can Join- Dates yet to be decided for 2021
SEWA GARBA - A very popular event during Chaitra Navratri every year happens where we do raas garba for a Cause, dates and location is yet to be decided
Nrityamaeva Jayate - New England’s largest and most awaited signature Dance competition where We showcase New Englands Talent form local Classical gurus and Bollywood Choreographers
5) Who are the key people involved and how can people join the Sewa group and contribute their time?
Key people are all volunteers who contribute their precious time; Some of the lead roles are and not limited to the following people listed below -
President - Boston Chapter- Harish Patel
Boston Chapter Coordinator : Raju Datla
Joint Coordinator - Boston Chapter - Abhay Nadgir
Vice President (National Team) - Ashwani Garg
Family Services Coordinator Dr. Sarva Uppuluri
Donor Relations- Medha Nadgir
Events Coordinator - Geena Virmani
Lead program Coordinator - Kumar Subramaniam
Marketing - Madhup Mishra /Neha Mishra
Feed the hungry - Raghav Narayan/ Manjari Kalgud
Support a Child- Sanjiv Kaushik
Mangal Nidhi _ Shova Sharma
ADVISOR- Hemal Rathod
6) As a woman leader in the philanthropy space, what is your next big dream?
My next big dream is to see Sewa bring Asprire program to new England - Our Houston chapter has been really successful in doing this program- I want to see our Boston Chapter bring it to this state. I urge the people reading this to think about how we can help under-served children succeed in their education.
The ASPIRE Program is an initiative of the nonprofit organization Sewa International - USA. ASPIRE (Assuring Student Progress in Remedial Education) provides out-of-school homework help and mentoring services primarily for refugee and immigrant youth in under served communities. By establishing learning centers directly in the communities where our students live, we provide help to those who need it most.
Thank you Geeta for sharing your inspiring story with us! We are excited to have you in our global women’s network!
BIO: I have been in Boston for 21 years started my career with IT Staffing agency business that I ran for 14 years and was a successful Business women. Me and my husband Ashwani Virmani - a software engineer are blessed to have 2 handsome teenager boys Aarya and Maurya highschoolersand 2 year old golden doodle Lucky:) I had to follow my passion of selling and buying homes, changing careers path horizontally was not easy, but I took it as a pride and got into real estate as I always wanted to do this. Have been a successful Realtor for past 5 years now. My second passion is dancing and have wonmany dance performances under guru Ekta Jain. Not giving up on COVID continued participating virtually and won First and Third place with IANH and NEMA. Passion by birth as I mentioned is serving the needy/under served, May it be cutting/making masks or dropping groceries to covid families Or even running an event to raise funds. I manage Event coordination for Boston Chapter SEWA INTERNATIONAL.
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