Cultural expectations surrounding the elderly are being challenged today, and with good reason!
While it was the norm to slow down and retreat into a quieter life post-retirement, more men and women are finding purpose and joy in doing the opposite.
WisdomCircle honours such men and women by shining light on their journey through an inspiring series called “Wisdom Stories”. These people have successfully smashed stereotypes, and their stories remind us that life should be lived to the fullest, no matter what age or stage.
“As a child, I resisted the rigid walls of formal education. Each day, I’d march off to school, only to have my lunch stolen by bullies and my bag hidden away. One day, I couldn’t bear it anymore and confided in my grandmother, ‘I don’t want to go back.’ Her response was simple yet profound: ‘If you don’t want to go to school, don’t go; learn at home.’
So, that’s what I did. I took the path less travelled, shaping my own education from the comfort of my home, guided by my curiosity and my grandmothers’ wisdom. My maternal grandmother and my paternal one. Both shaped me.
Years later, that defiance of convention led me to an unexpected place: graduation. I stood proudly at the podium of Mount Carmel College in Bengaluru, holding a degree in English Literature, Psychology, and Economics. My parents, ever hopeful, had envisioned me becoming a doctor, but I couldn’t ignore the truth deep inside me. I hated the sight of blood, and I knew that wasn’t the path I was meant to walk.
Instead, I charted my own course, pursuing a master’s in social work at Bangalore University. It was there that I discovered my true calling: community development. It wasn’t the corporate world that tugged at my heart, but the idea of making a tangible difference in people’s lives, particularly those who were most vulnerable.
My first job was with BOSCO, an organisation dedicated to street children. There, I found myself advocating fiercely for the rights of minors, especially when it meant standing face-to-face with the law enforcement officers. I remember telling them, ‘Children can’t be in police lockups or in jails.’ I was often met with resistance, but those words became a turning point. I realised how much awareness was missing about child rights within the system. So, with the help of UNICEF, I spearheaded the creation of India’s first child-friendly police training manual; an initiative that would later be translated into eight languages and adopted in the City Police training sessions.
And the journey continued.
In 1997, after a heart-wrenching incident involving a young girl at the Bengaluru railway station, I decided to work on establishing a child helpline. Many dismissed it as an unrealistic idea, yet when I presented a letter to the Police Commissioner, he responded, “Get me a blueprint, and we can initiate the Helpline.” That moment marked the birth of Makkala Sahayavani, India’s first child protection helpline. What began as a small initiative quickly grew. Within two years, the Government of India adopted the concept, and 1098 Childline became a nationwide service.
By 2002, my focus expanded to gender rights, leading to the creation of the People-Friendly Gender-Sensitive Policing, a curriculum introduced at the Karnataka Police Academy, for a 100-mark paper for all SI recruits. The syllabus introduced a gender sensitive & rights-based approach to Policing. This step would later be featured in India’s official report to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Around the same time, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) recognised Makkala Sahayavani for its impact on reducing children’s involvement in drug trafficking.
In 2005, I founded Global Concerns India, an organisation dedicated to Education, health, & combating human trafficking, child labour, and exploitation.
I am privileged to be part of committees, like the Karnataka State High Power Committee Against Human Trafficking and the Task Force at the Karnataka State & District Legal Services Authority.
One truth remains clear throughout my journey working in CSOs: while NGOs spark the change & voice dissent to uphold human rights, for true transformation to happen, the government must own the process and the results. It is the duty of the state, as it holds the power, to scale up and implement widespread change.
Work in the development field is not easy. While Funding is a constant challenge, running a grassroots organisation often feels like walking a tightrope.
What keeps me going, or the fire that fuels my relentless drive, is the resilience of the children and women I work with. And the unwavering belief that accountability isn’t just something to demand, it’s something we must live every single day.
To those seasoned professionals who feel their best years are behind them, I want to offer this thought: our life expectancy has risen thanks to healthcare and better nutrition. According to the WHO, 60 is now considered the new middle age. That means anyone around 50 is young. There is no need to slow down; dare to try something new.
I married at 33. At 40, I learned to swim. At 50, when menopause tested my patience, I embraced sleeveless blouses. My daughter encouraged me to try blue eyeliner, and though I hesitated, she said, ‘Why should you worry about what people say?’ She was right. These may seem like small choices, but they are also acts of choice—the freedom to live life on my own terms.
To those contemplating a move into social impact work: your expertise is needed. We may not be able to offer the same salaries as the corporate world, but we need your skills, whether in reporting, technology, administration, finance, or management information systems. Pair that with the passion of grassroots organisations, and together, we can strengthen civil society and drive real change.
Looking back, from the creation of India’s first child helpline to contributing to official UN and government reports, I’ve learned one truth above all: change happens when you dare to act. It’s easy to be swayed by the voices that tell you no, that tell you it’s impossible. But change doesn’t happen because it’s easy; it happens because someone, somewhere, is convinced to take that step and make change happen.
I’m proud to be that person who decides with my heart & feels good every day, doing everything that makes me feel contented.
Life is to be lived abundantly.”
Explore more inspiring journeys—read more Wisdom Stories here.
