Deepak Sharma, Director and Advisory Board Member, ‘Udayan Care’
In this episode, Ashutosh Garg engages in an insightful conversation with Deepak Sharma, Director and Advisory Board Member, ‘Udayan Care’. Deepak, after a three decade long corporate life, gave up his illustrious career to become a part of Udayan Care, a trust which provides helping hand to disadvantaged women and children.
Podcast
Overview
In this episode, Ashutosh Garg engages in an insightful conversation with Deepak Sharma, Director and Advisory Board Member, ‘Udayan Care’. Deepak, after a three decade long corporate life, gave up his illustrious career to become a part of Udayan Care, a trust which provides helping hand to disadvantaged women and children.
Deepak reminisces about his early life and career. He explains why he chose to quit the corporate career and venture into charity. He tells how his visit to St. Mother Teresa’s ‘Missionaries of Charity’ transformed his life. He explains how he started off as a volunteer and later became a mentor parent. Deepak talks about the challenges he faced while taking care of the disadvantaged.
Deepak narrates the happenings of a day in his life. He elucidates how he ensures the safety of the girls he provides shelter to. He explains what motivates a person to serve others. To the ones who have a spark in their heart, Deepak tells how one can get involved in charitable services. He explains the process of becoming a volunteer and a mentor parent. He talks about the impact of NGOs in society.
Profile
It was the year 1996 (I was 36 years old) when one of my colleague at ABB inspired me to support the community by whatever means possible. He was sponsoring a girl child with the annual school fee at Deepalaya an NGO .I immediately took details of the NGO from him and I too started sponsoring two girls for their education at Deepalaya. So friends, this was my starting of a journey by giving back to society in my own little way. With passage of time apart from sponsoring two girl children at Deepalaya I also started supporting a girl’s education in one of the SOS village in Delhi. Around the same time I happened to visit Mother Teresa’s Missionary of Charity in Kolkata was so inspired by her devotion to society that I too decided that at some point of time I would also give back to society what God has given me.
It was not only financially supporting the girls in the two NGOs and mentioned above, but I along with my wife got associated with them and started celebrating our birthdays/anniversary with the children of the two NGOs from time to time. All this led to my taking a decision in early forties to give back to society in a much bigger and effective/impactful way. So around my early forties I decided that once I reach the age of 52-53 I will quit the corporate world as my only child (son) would settle by the time I turn 53 and would devote full time towards supporting girls’ education.
Just to add here that I totally worked for almost 31 years across different organizations in different roles. I was part of NTPC, ABB, ALSTOM POWER (Now GE Power), BSES, Tata Power and Tata Teleservices.
As an old saying goes Man proposes, God disposes. Possibly God was with me and he sent me an opportunity in 2009.Times of India an English paper daily had come out with a teach India programme in 2009.I and my wife enrolled for the programme .Post necessary formalities we were assigned to work with Udayan Care boys and girls home in Noida.
After being associated for couple of years I was very clear that this is a God sent opportunity to get associated with Udayan Care. As soon as Dr. Kiran Modi the Managing Trustee of Udayan Care gave an idea of taking up mentorship at Greater Noida Home around Jan 2013,I in fact jumped at the opportunity. After few months I quit my job from a senior position in Tata Docomo and finally plunged headlong at Udayan Care Home at Greater Noida on 6th Sep 2013.It’s now almost five years since the commencement of my journey at Udayan Care full time in a Honorary capacity being a mentor father, not even once I have felt any remorse or regret of quitting the corporate world. Here I would like to add that I had unconditional support from my family but more especially from my wife Dr. Sunita Sharma who has been a constant pillar of strength in this journey of mine over the years.
My experience at this Greater Noida home has been awesome. It is like living a second life where I am trying giving my best to bring up the girls at the home in a very homely environment. I always try to be there whenever and wherever they need me or my support in any matter whether related to school, college, and home or at work place for those who are working.
The amount of satisfaction I am getting is something I just cannot express. It is immense. The love and affection I get from these lovely adopted daughters of mine is definitely beyond my expectations.
I have been participating in Airtel Delhi Half Marathon every year since its inception. I started raising funds from 2016.With support from friends, relatives and acquaintances I could raise 9.23 lacs in ADHM 2016
Last year I raised 13. Lacs in ADHM 2017 again with support of friends and relatives.
I this year too participated in ADHM 2018 with a target to raise 25 lacs, this being the silver jubilee year of Udayan Care .It gives me great pleasure and happiness to report that this year I was able to raise almost 36 lacs with huge support of my friends ,Ex. Colleagues, relatives and acquaintances.
In the end, I would only say that God has been very kind and nice to me, helping me to cross roads with Udayan Care which has now become my life for the future. This is really a great platform, which is guiding me in achieving my dream and objective of supporting girls’ education along with their overall grooming up into a good human being and a responsible global citizen .
TO SUM UP IN ONE SENTENCE
MY HEART BREATHS 24 by 7 FOR MY ADOPTED DAUGHTERS (THOUGH NOT LEGALLY) OF JAGSHANTI HOME AND UDAYAN CARE
GOD BLESS THEM.
