Giving Back

by Aashumi Shah August 29, 2017 0 Comments

Giving Back

Some of us are born into the world luckier than others. When I gaze back at my childhood in Bombay- India, I see fun vacations, healthy meals, lots of laughter, sports, temple every weekend and a blue school uniform with a white and blue gingham sash. Going to school (actually private school) wasn't a choice, it was a given, like breathing, a natural part of my life. My school, J. B. Petit High School for Girls, taught us to think, believe and live "Ever Forward". Upon graduation in 1995 this message was etched somewhere in my being.

My experiences shifted as I went from J.B to St. Xavier's college and finally art school. My awareness opened to differences between the degree of privilege. From volunteering for a short span with children from the slums to hovering over friends studying for their SATs, writing essays for their undergraduate applications to the States. I felt caught in this emotional struggle for children who couldn't afford school and my own unhappiness of not having the funds to study abroad. There was a gratitude brewing, I just hadn't realized it.

After a few failed attempts, my dream was realized and funds were finally made available. I was on my way to The Fashion Institute of Technology in NY. My heart was as it's maximum. I received support not only from my parents but also from my uncle's family in New York who I lived with very comfortably for the first three years, rent free on the upper eastside.

This opportunity set the blue print to the life and dream I'm living now. My Present.

Education has shaped my life from the day I was born. It has empowered me as a little girl, woman, mother and a business owner and it will continue to serve in all my life chapters. My brewed gratitude was ready to give back when I married Carlos (a public defender) and moved to Washington DC in 2009. Giving back to Girls Education in India was part of Mirasa's business plan but it has always held an important place in my life plan.

Some of us are born into the world luckier than others. Giving back to Girls Education in India through Room to Read couldn't be possible without you, my customer. We are making a difference together. Thank you!

-Aashumi

Photo: This picture was taken on my Room to Read tour in Delhi, 2010

Aashumi Shah

Author

I'm a textile designer and the founder of mirasa design. I love day dreaming, standing on my head, reading and of course my glass of Malbec. Married to a public defender and mom to a terrific kiddo. We are the Ecua-Indians of Washington D.C.

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