“There’s a certain sense of satisfaction that you get with volunteering; it’s so strong and fulfilling.

I grew up in the suburbs of Shamshabad. In my childhood, I was surrounded by people who are not inclined in questioning the authorities and people who accepted things as they are. So questioning was not inherent or natural in me. Rather I acquired it from the people and the society.

Every time I see people in extreme poverty or living in deplorable conditions, a question arises in my mind; Who is responsible for all this?

When I was in the first year of my graduation when I came to know about the infamous Right to Information Act (RTI) and the power it accorded to the people. My first RTI application was about Kamuni Cheruvu. I sought information regarding the sanction of funds to the lake. By filing the RTI, I understood that questioning is the first step for achieving a better change. At that time I promised myself that I would take every chance that would make things better. I put an application regarding the tenant farmers information to the sarpanch of my village. I also wrote to the district collector- Ranga Reddy, regarding house pattas for families residing on the roadsides of Singapuram tower locality. Apart from this, I have also filed a few RTI’s on the pertaining social issues in the city.

During the Covid lockdown, my friends and I have initiated several awareness programs and donation drives in the slum areas in and around Shamshad. I still continue the volunteering work in my free time by visiting slums to understand their livelihood and try to make them more informed about their rights and opportunities.

Through my volunteering work, I have realised that even after 70 years of planning, our society remains unorganised in many ways. I understand that no society is perfect.
But there should always be focused actions to reduce these imperfections.”