Madhvi Aggarwal

I am very excited to join the ARP team in Nepal. This project enables me to attain a dream I have strived for since I was thirteen: to provide healthcare to rural communities around the world.

Growing up in Nairobi, Kenya, it broke my heart to see social, racial and cultural inequity. I was often frustrated by the social divide between the “upper” and “lower” classes, as well as by hearing the apathetic statement “what can you do? This is just the way things are.” My biggest challenge was imagining how I could possibly change generations of people who held on to orthodox and colonial doctrines that justified East Africa’s economic conditions.

I have always felt guilty for participating in a lifestyle that I did not feel was just. It made me a hypocrite, especially because I did little to contribute in ways I felt capable towards the community at large.

For this reason, among many others, I truly feel lucky with this opportunity to work with a group of people who have identified a way to help communities that are undeservedly deprived of basic human rights.  I finally have a chance to actively participate in a program that touches the lives of thousands and sees past all the “differences” that exist in the human race. I know this adventure is going to teach me some beautiful and thought-provoking lessons about life; the experience is going to be invaluable! I really do look forward to growing and becoming more aware of how we can further contribute to a global society with an open heart and open mind.

There is nothing I believe in more than the work ARP has been doing in Nepal and I look forward to working with a dynamic community that has witnessed its own share of strife, as well as resilience. Thank you so much for all that you do!

Om Shanti.