Creating A Village Through A Ripple Of Kindness: Manisha Jain Shares Her Passion For Giving Back and Selfless Service
“I Am Because We Are. In seeking happiness for others, you will find it in yourself. Do the right thing, try to make it better, keep doing it till you make a difference in the lives of others” - Today’s woman dreamer, Manisha Jain is a community leader to know. She shares her inspiring journey of selfless service that started a ripple of kindness in the community. In 2020, Manisha started the “Sew We Care” initiative that was instrumental in donating close to 25,000 pieces of homemade PPE to local hospitals and organizations in the New England area. Enjoy her story!
1. Tell us about your journey and how Sew We Care was born?
In March 2020, when people’s lives came to a standstill, mine took flight in an unimaginable direction. The threat of an unknown virus brought forth severe anxiety and a feeling of helplessness…of not knowing any answers, of not being able to help or make a difference!
I came across a hospital’s plea for homemade masks for their staff. I apprehensively stitched my first mask, and to my pleasant surprise, it fit my husband perfectly. It gave me a sense of purpose and satisfaction and I realized that this could be my contribution to survive the crisis facing healthcare heroes and all of us.
I put out a request on Facebook and whatsapp, urging people to help me with any of the steps of mask making, whether it be procuring fabric, cutting, ironing, sewing or delivering. I made an instructional video and began to spread the word. Soon, I had countless people join in, willing to help in any way they could. Having evolved in the Covid era, Sew We Care was a completely collaborative, yet socially distanced, process. Everything was facilitated via Whatsapp, like an assembly line spanning across households. Though it was my anxiety that spurred this project, it gained wings through the generosity of community members who kept joining our group, aptly named “Sew We Care” by my daughter. A simple act of kindness created a ripple in the community resulting in a village of selfless service!
2. You believe in selfless service. Tell us about your philosophy and passion to give back?
Being an educator at heart, I have always believed in creating a difference and making an impact. Teaching academically gifted students for almost two decades, my goal was always to inspire them to use the gift of their intellect toward serving the society at large. Inspired by the African philosophy “Ubuntu, I strongly believe that the world is interconnected and true happiness stems from putting others before self. “I Am Because We Are. In seeking happiness for others, you will find it in yourself. Do the right thing, try to make it better, keep doing it till you make a difference in the lives of others.” Each one of us has unique gifts and talents, and we need to constantly utilize them for the collective good of society, and that is how we build a caring community. Our best achievements happen only when we share ourselves with others and care for them.
3. You have founded and are involved with various philanthropic organizations like Sew We Care, Ekal, and American Red Cross. Tell us about your involvement /impact with them.
Sew We Care has woven a fabric that brought hope into a seemingly hopeless time. 150+ volunteers and their families, from 33 different towns, stitched and donated close to 25,000 masks, scrub caps and other PPE to about 250 hospitals, senior centers, homeless shelters etc. It was extremely gratifying when an NGO near Kolkata followed our video and model and made and donated 5000 masks. Sew We Care recently sponsored blood drives for the American Red Cross - urging the Indian community to adopt a very powerful way to give back, yet uncommon among the Indian community. This compassionate village continues to serve selflessly through food and clothing drives, homelessnes relief etc.
I have been involved in planning and execution of several virtual as well as in-person events that bring communities together and create an impact. Helping manage musical events for Palakurthifoundation, Din Check, and Triveni School of Dance, chairing the Sangeet Vibhag for Hindi Manch, all help me utilize my creative and problem-solving talent for the common good. My most gratifying work has been for Ekal Vidyalaya - a movement very close to my heart, committed to bringing education and empowerment to rural India. I conceptualized and organized some of their recent fund-raising musical galas, “Dhadkan” and “It’s The Time To Disco!” It was truly an honor for me to be of service to Ekal and help create a tribe of kindness!
4. As the platform for women dreamers, what is your next big dream?
My dream is not anything well-defined but rather nebulous in nature. I hope I continue to have the courage to take small steps that can have a big impact on humanity. I hope my heart pulls me in the right direction and guides me forward on the path to selfless service. Above all, I hope and dream that we as a society focus not just on individual self-interests but hold ourselves accountable for the greater good of others.