Ananya Bahadur

Change Agent, Student

I am an enthusiastic, dedicated and proactive individual with strong communication skills. I thrive in team settings, value open communication and take responsibility for my tasks to ensure efficient performance. I am able to manage my time by organizing tasks to maximize productivity, ensuring deadlines are met while maintaining high standard of work. I am the co-founder of a non-profit organization called Kiranya Welfare Organization, which works for the upliftment of underprivileged and neglected elderly people in rural villages and for social and environmental causes. I have always been in the top 3 in my class and have been the head of the school Editorial board, Paryavaran club and have played basketball and handball at the state and district levels.

Human beings are constantly growing and evolving. Everyday presents an opportunity to learn a new skill or make a difference in society. Through this new learning every day, I have developed and continued to develop several passions and areas of interest. However, there are three such passions that have been a driving force for me throughout my life. 1. Social Upliftment and Positive Change- growing up, my grandmother always taught me the importance of giving back to society. She used to say, “Help those who can’t help themselves, for kindness and selflessness are the definition of a successful human being”. These words are the beacon that guide my every action. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the world was in chaos. Unemployment and starvation became the main cause of fatality in villages across the country. Hailing from a small town myself, I was witnessing this brutality all around me. It was then I took the decision to open my own NGO to create a channel to help as many people as I could. It has been three years since, and I have been successful in harnessing 100+ volunteers and partnering with schools and industries in my locality to help uplift the surrounding villages through our programme of “Adopting a Village”. Seeing the women and children of these villages gain futuristic benefits from this programme has increased my drive to expand my reach and make a small contribution in as many lives as I can so that they have the opportunity for brighter futures. This passion has been inculcated in me by my family and I strive to keep it burning and hope to pass it on to others to make this world a happier place to live in. 2. Sports- I was 10 years old when I first started playing basketball and since then it has become an integral part of my life. From being a substitute on the bench to captaining my district team to victory, it has taught me invaluable lessons. For most people, basketball may seem like a mere game but for me, it’s so much more. It taught me the importance of discipline, dedication and perseverance. Further, it enhanced my communication, teamwork and leadership skills. This sport has helped shaped a major part of my personality and the skills I learnt from it have helped me excel in various other fields. Beyond the learnings, I am happiest when I’m on the court. It helps me focus and centre my thoughts, but most importantly helps me relax and gives me the opportunity to have fun. This is a passion that I’ve pursued for more than 10 years and I’m sure I will continue to do so always. 3. Innovation and Ideas- I believe in the power of ideas to transform the world and thus, I’m constantly looking for new stories and ideas to learn from. I believe stories change lives, and so I follow the stories of extraordinary individuals in various fields in order to improve and develop my own skills and make my mark in society. Tales of perseverance, hard work and compassion have made invaluable impacts in my life. I also aspire to take such stories of perseverance and determination and use them to build inspiration and aspiration for others for the holistic development of humans as a society. To create a society of acceptance where we all learn from the best parts of each other. My passion for learning is and continues to be the source of all my actions and allows me to be the best version of myself Although these are the main passions that drive me, I aspire to keep learning and growing and maintain my ability to adapt to this fast-paced and continually evolving world.

Communication, Leadership, Organization

My association with TEDx began in grade 9, when I attended my first TEDx event. Hearing stories of individuals who were exceptional in their fields, having overcome obstacles similar to the ones I was facing, not only fuelled my motivation but also inspired me to push myself beyond my limits and learn from my failures rather than wallow in them. Since then, listening to Ted talks became a daily norm for me. Through this, I gained everyday heroes, who taught me the skills I needed to get through the struggles I was facing. Stephen Trzeciak taught me the importance of compassion, Simon Sinek taught me the skills needed to be an effective leader, Lucy Hone taught me how to be resilient and Tamara Bongo’o taught me to accept myself as I am despite what society thinks. In college, I got the opportunity to be in the organizing team of the TEDxNMIMS event. This experience was truly cathartic and taught me invaluable lessons. I was instrumental in procuring sponsorships and selling tickets, but most importantly interacting with the speakers and understanding the behind-the-scenes workings of a TEDx event. From honing my communication skills to improving my event-management abilities, this experience taught me all of it. I aspire to continue working with TEDx to develop my skills and make such inspirational stories heard, so they can impact the lives of so many others just like they impact mine every day.