Month: February 2018

Malvaika Iyer…An Amazingly Gutsy and Inspirational Life!

| Chandru Gidwani

“I was an inquisitive child — at 13, I was rummaging through my garage when my life changed forever. There had been a fire at an ammunition depot near by that left fragments everywhere, and a grenade landed up in my garage — it exploded when I held it. I was rushed to the hospital, where by some miracle I survived the night — the doctors then began to piece me together.
I’d lost both my hands and sustained severe injuries to my legs including paralysis of the nerves. For the first 6 months, I couldn’t walk and was confined to a wheelchair. At some point, iron rods were drilled in both my legs. After 18 months of hospitalisation and surgeries, I would have to learn to walk again and use a pair of prosthetic hands.
This was halfway into what was supposed to be 10th grade, but I had missed so much school that the only option was to lose more time — but I decided to take it upon myself to not. I shifted my entire focus to studying non stop, and enrolled myself in classes that trained me in crash courses. I was so determined that with the help of a writer, I cleared my boards — my first big victory!
I loved that I had set a goal and achieved it so I did it again — and this time I got a State rank — I was even more motivated than before!
I went on to study Economics followed by a masters in Social Work — those early years of college were the most difficult. I was on my own for a while and felt like I was surrounded by perfect people with perfect lives, while I was broken. I kept myself covered to avoid talking about what happened. It was hard for me to see myself as worthy. I felt incomplete. It was at this point that my family stood by me like a rock — they believed in me each day and cheered my every victory — I had to hold it together for them. It was also during this time that I met the love of my life who looked at me like I was the most complete person…my handicap wasn’t even a factor for him — why was it one for me? I began to remind myself that me being alive was a complete miracle–if I got through my accident, I could do anything.
I researched the life of people with disabilities. I realised, like me, most of the disabled hated being pitied, we were alive and this was a celebration.
I decided to celebrate me — In 2012, on the anniversary of my accident, after years of insecurities, hiding my new body, and a million stares and questions from strangers later, I finally wrote down what had happened and published it on my Facebook — that post went viral!
Soon I was giving my first TEDx talk and before I knew it, I had given over 300 speeches around the world. In 2016 I was awarded the first Women in the World Emerging Leaders award in New York and that same year I completed my PhD. Last year I got invited to speak at the UN Headquarters and even to Co-Chair the World Economics Forum’s India Economic Summit in New Delhi!
So this is my journey full of ups and downs — there were days I didn’t want to live because the pain was unbearable. Even today, when I visit India, I face discrimination if I’m not wearing my prosthetics, but I’m on a mission to change that.
I take everything with a pinch of salt and anything new I do now is an adventure — at the moment I’m learning how to cook using my elbows!
I want to show the world, that you being exactly who you are is your greatest power, and the way you look or what you ‘lack’ doesn’t change that. Look at me — I’m a Phd with no hands! Just know that a bad phase or a disability is a chapter in your book…it’s not the entire story and the only person who can write your happily ever after — is YOU.”

Bill and Melinda Gates: This is why we give our billions away!

| Chandru Gidwani

With a net worth of more than $90 billion, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is the second richest person in the world, behind only Amazonfounder Jeff Bezos, according to Forbes. He has so much money, in fact, that it has become a full-time job for him, his wife, Melinda, and 1,500 employees of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to give it all away.

So why do the Gates work so hard to give their billions to philanthropy? In the couple’s 10th annual letter describing their foundation’s charity work released Tuesday, the billionaires opened up about the subject.

It provides purpose

"There are two reasons to do something like this," the letter says, referring to the $4 billion a year the foundation spends in developing countries trying to end child mortality, distribute vaccinations and improve access to education, plus another $500 million it shells out in the United States.

First, "it’s meaningful work," according to the letter.

"Even before we got married, we talked about how we would eventually spend a lot of time on philanthropy," writes Bill. "We think that’s a basic responsibility of anyone with a lot of money. Once you’ve taken care of yourself and your children, the best use of extra wealth is to give it back to society."

Virus-free. www.avg.com