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Canadian volunteer Emma Moore worked with Atma from December 2013- March 2014. She was placed with Atma Partners Sparsha and Sahyog during her volunteership.

            ” Almost two years ago I finished a degree in International Development – an ideal background, one would think, for a volunteership at an NGO in India. However, my three months working with Atma in Mumbai have been much more illuminating of the actual processes of development – of the ‘hows’ and the ‘whys’ – than school ever was. While my degree definitely taught me how to learn, I think Mumbai, and this experience, is teaching me how to appreciate, how to empathize, how to understand, and how to act.

I think it is easy to look at social problems, especially in India, and only see just that- the problems. Big, scary, devastating problems. It’s much too easy to feel overwhelmed, paralyzed and confused when confronted with these daunting challenges. In these dark moments what I feel most is helplessness – What can I possibly do to change anything? What I’m slowly beginning to learn is how to see the positives – the solutions, the growth, the sometimes tiny but important moments of change. Working with Atma and Atma Partner Sahyog really allowed me to see these almost-hidden glimmers of hope and taught me how to appreciate them for their real worth. The more time I spend in Mumbai the more I see these glimmers and it gives me faith that things are changing – sometimes slowly, but changing nonetheless.

           India is almost exactly what I expected and true to the descriptions I’d been given. However, knowing about a place and experiencing that place are two very different things and I’m not sure that all the information, knowledge or advice was all that helpful in the end. I was often overwhelmed, surprised, awed, angry and confused by everything around me. I think this is a pretty typical reaction to India, and Mumbai in particular, and I don’t see my own experience as being particularly unique or different from any other newcomer’s.  I guess what was truly surprising was not the poverty or living conditions. I had already read about these things, seen the statistics and the bleak photos. I was more surprised by the kindness shown to me, not just by my colleagues and neighbours, but by complete strangers. Women on the trains would make sure I didn’t miss my stop. Men on the street would stop to patiently give directions. It seemed like everyone I met offered to share their lunch with me. This was a beautiful and unexpected dynamic of Mumbai that often overwhelmed me more than the stark realities, because these were the things it was impossible to take photos of, to show in statistics. I guess you can’t quantify kindness.

My work with Sahyog made me privy to even more kindness. My role there was to help collect success stories (or significant change stories) with the goal of developing content for their website and social media. This was a job that was almost too good to be true. Sahyog is already doing incredible work, and my task was merely to find ways to capture this work and share it with others.  Without my local guides, the ambitious, young women who work at Sahyog, I would have been completely lost. They gracefully navigated the hectic neighbourhoods, introduced me to our interviewees and simultaneously translated conversations. It was an amazing collaboration and an exciting process to be a part of.

A favourite moment stands out in my mind after a focus group we ran with current Umang participants, as well as graduates and staff. Beena asked the girls if they had any questions for myself or the other foreign volunteer. The usually shy girls were interested to hear how we were finding Mumbai, and in particular, how we dealt with challenges like language barriers, navigating and confusing train stations. This conversation really broke the ice with the group and afterwards girls approached us in nervous knots of twos and threes to practice their English and chat with us about everything from food to religion. It was incredible to think that despite all the seeming differences, we were all just curious young women hoping to learn something from each other. For me, this was a powerful lesson of what working in a cross-cultural situation should be like – learning from both sides and a discovering a solidarity, even a camaraderie, that transcended language or geography. In that room that afternoon I really felt like our backgrounds, everything that we think makes us who we are, didn’t actually matter.

However, this was just one of many lessons learned in Mumbai. I’ve learned so much from seeing Sayhog’s work on the ground – the way they forge positive relationships with the community, how they have invested in capable, motivated young women from the areas where they work, and how they are creating real change without forcing too much too soon. I guess what I realized most is that change – real, meaningful, sustainable change- doesn’t always happen loudly. It’s not always ushered in by a revolution, with parades or radical characters, and it’s not always glossy and sexy enough to end up on the cover of a magazine. Sometimes the most important change of all is in the everyday acts of brave people trying to do a little bit better. The people who are quietly taking the boundaries that have been laid out for generations, and pushing them just an inch, maybe two, maybe even three. It is a girl choosing to ride the train alone, a father deciding to send his daughter to school, a mother defying tradition to give her child a slightly better start than the one she was given. The most important thing I have learned is to stop waiting for a brilliant, game-changing idea or an all-knowing messiah-like political leader and to start having faith in everyday people making bold decisions. These are the people who are worth our investment.

In terms of whether I would do this again, I know I would. But I would hope to come back with more to offer. Seeing women work so hard to improve who they are and what they have to give, it makes me want to do the same. I hope one day soon I can return with a useful skill or expertise I can pass on to a similarly ambitious young person. I think Mumbai will be a difficult place to not return to, and the connections I have made at Atma and Sahyog won’t be forgotten easily.

Everyone talks about how rewarding volunteer experiences are, particularly ones in new, unknown places. My time in Mumbai has made me feel of lot of different things (frequently contradicting emotions) but what I feel most often is lucky. Lucky to have been born into certain, arbitrary privileges, but more so, lucky that I had the opportunity to see and even briefly be a part of the important work these organizations do every day. Their positive outcomes are not based on luck – they are based on hard work, dedication and commitment.”

A good education. Check.

Great job. Check.

One would imagine the story ends here. For Karla Kevin though, this was only a pit-stop before embarking on a journey down the road less-taken. Upon successfully finishing her Chartered Accountancy studies and exams, Karla decided to take up a 2 month volunteering opportunity with a local NGO (read: Atma) in Mumbai instead of indulging in a vacation of the sun, sea and sand variety. That this decision would change, influence and shape the course of her career was something even she had not imagined.

During her volunteership with Atma, Karla was placed with Atma Partner Masoom — an NGO that works to provide high quality night school education to the disadvantaged communities of Mumbai. The project required her to work on Masoom’s budgeting, investment planning and other finance related issues. She admits that this experience of being able to apply her skills in the social sector helped break a major stereotype - “I realised that volunteering is not always about teaching children.” Through her work she was able to strengthen Masoom’s financial systems. Strong organisational systems in turn allow NGOs such as Masoom to reach out to more beneficiaries.

This marriage between individual skill-sets and making a difference led to one of the many light bulb moments that Karla took back with her into the corporate world. “Even after I went back to working with Deloitte (having previously interned with them), my volunteering experience did not leave me. Here I was, working with a big brand in a reasonably well-paying job. And yet ironically, the numbers were just not adding up. On paper it all looked great but I often found myself wondering whether 30 years later I would have made a difference to anyone’s life? The thought that I was just another part of some giant machinery left me disillusioned.”

As fate would have had it, while Karla was struggling with the realization that the corporate sector was not her calling, Masoom was in need of a Finance Director.  Taking up this job however was no walk in the park- “Although well meaning, the advice flying around at this point was far from encouraging. People thought that I was being far too impulsive in moving to the development sector. “ But as most dreamers do, Karla decided to go with her gut.

At 24, Karla heads Finance and Operations at Masoom. “I am lucky to be where I am, so early on in my career. It is extremely challenging and exciting not only to be so involved in the growth of an organisation but also to be one of the key decision makers. Here I have the opportunity not only to be a leader but a very happy one at that. At Masoom, Nikita (Founder & CEO) ensures that there is always room for everyone’s thoughts and opinions. This makes for a very open and learning environment . When a leader has the faith and confidence in you, you can’t help but believe in yourself too. This has been my biggest learning from her. I hope I too can encourage others to lead, the way she has done for Masoom’s second line leaders.”

Fearless and bright, second line leaders bring the kind of energy infusion that organisations need to take their vision forward. “Karla is an extremely hard-working and proactive individual. Having been a volunteer with Masoom earlier, she was able to dive into her job role with minimum hand-holding. Her openness and ability to learn quickly have allowed her to go above and beyond what is expected of her. In a very short time, I have been able to handover a substantial amount of responsibility thereby allowing me to focus better  on my job as a CEO. She is a great  asset to Masoom and I am very thankful to Atma for bringing her in.  I feel very secure today knowing that Karla and Pallavi will help to take this organisation forward in the right direction.” - Nikta Ketkar, Founder & CEO Masoom

So was the move from a fancy high rise office to the quiet by-lane where Masoom sits, worth it?

“Absolutely.” says Karla. “When you know where you want to be, why put it off?   Working in this sector has meant meeting people who are fun, smart and passionate all at once. No one is dragging their feet here. There is so much that inspires you here. So much to aspire to. “

Echoing Abbas she says of her future, ” I am here to stay until I am needed. I just hope I can encourage a few more people along the way to join this movement of hard-work, passion and fulfillment.”

Dear Friends of Atma: 

In January 2012 I wrote to many of you and told you of our new and ambitious goal to reach 20 partners by the end of the 2012-13 fiscal year.  It is now April 1^st, and we did it! (No kidding). 20 inspiring education NGOs in Mumbai.

 Statistics about education in India tell a damning story:

•  20%  of India’s poor have no access to education;
• 86% have no access to technical and vocational training;
• 45% drop out of school before eight grade

 Luckily, statistics like these have motivated the amazing founders of our NGO partners to work whole-heartedly to find solutions to the challenges of quality education and actually provide quality education in Mumbai.

 Big problems need big solutions, but we shouldn’t have to go it alone. That’s why Atma is working in these NGOs, because we know many solutions together will create the changes India needs in education.

 Just like our partners Atma could not do it alone. It is individuals like you who make our work possible, whether through donations,connections, or  moral support. The Atma International Chapters – in Netherlands, Australia, Canada, and Hong Kong are our ever present support and inspiration. It would be literally impossible for us to do our work without them.  

 A big round of applause to the whole Atma team- staff and volunteers, who whether, manning the phones and filing paper work, running workshops, writing manuals or traipsing through the furthest forgotten corners of our (not always) fair city have really made achieving this goal possible.  Each and everyone of them should be incredibly proud of their accomplishments and the personal milestones they have achieved on the way.

 Finally, we would like to acknowledge Atma’s 20 partners for their perseverance and willingness to grow their organisations to reach more children lacking the quality education they dream of. Their commitment and passion motivates us to push ourselves a little more each day.

 Atma is named Atma (soul in Hindi) because it is these many people in their different capacities that will really create the change we need – united in our efforts. Thank you to every one who has continued to support Atma, and congratulations to all of our NGO partners!

Mary Ellen Matsui

Executive Director

This year Atma was a part of the Dasra Social Impact program. Dasra Social-Impact is an executive education program, which provides successful non profits and social businesses with transformational skills necessary to build sustainable and scalable organizations to accelerate their impact. Atma Director Mary Ellen Matsui writes about her experience of participating in this program.

“There are so many things that I can say about DSI, what we did and learnt and who we met, but I want to focus on how the whole experience made me feel.

Coming out of the DSI program I have two main emotions: Confidence and humility.

Through this process I realised several factors contributed to this change. The most important one is that the Dasra team is extremely supportive. The fact that they want us to be successful comes through all of their interactions with the participants. It is easier to believe in yourself when they believe in you.

As part of the program I had the opportunity to meet and connect with NGO leaders from across the sector. Irrespective of whether they were older &wiser or younger & more energetic there was something to learn from each of them. It was comforting to know that so many of us are going through similar trials and struggles; that I am not alone in making mistakes. I feel more confident today because not only were there a lot of learnings from DSI but that I was also able to action the big ones and see real positive results.

Real results and the struggle to obtain them is humbling to say the least. Yes, working on our Pitches and the PowerPoints was difficult- definitely a  stretch for those of us who are accustomed to focusing on operations and excelling in our respective domains of work. Achieving  real results on the ground however is the real challenge. I was inspired to learn about the fantastic work my classmates do and the social change they achieve.

Dasra’s belief in the work that we all do was the game-changer. Quoting my classmate Jo Chopra (Latika Roy Foundation), ‘Nothing can be more motivating than knowing that we really can do it, that we really can change the world’.

DSI wasn’t all warm and fuzzy. It was hard work. We all got a lot of tough feedback on how too be better at achieving more, creating more impact, changing the world faster. The fact that it is all up to us now (hopefully with a little help from Dasra) to really do it,  is the most humbling part of it all.”

 (Photo Credits-Jo McGowan Chopra)

“The first follower transforms a lone nut into a leader”-Derek Sivers, Founder MuckWork and TED speaker

A leader is only a leader if he has a follower. Derek Sivers was right on the money when he said that we can’t all be leaders- “If you want to start a movement, have the courage to follow and show others how to follow”. Born out of the idea to celebrate first followers, was this blog series on second line leadership from our growing cohort of Atma Partner organisations.

Quiet and unassuming Abbas Dadla- Program Manager at Avanti Fellows sits across the table waiting for the ‘interview’ to begin. Avanti is a social enterprise that provides low-income high-school students a world-class science and mathematics education, thus preparing them for college admission.  All of 22, Abbas leads the Avanti Chapter in Mumbai.

Abbas had his first tryst with Avanti as a Volunteer while still in engineering college. During this time he grew from being a mentor for a group of fellows to building & leading the entire student mentor team in IIT Bombay. “This experience of working with Avanti previously made taking up a full time position upon graduation seem only natural.I already had an in-depth understanding of the organisation and where it was headed.”

But what makes an engineer from one of the best colleges in the country pick a social enterprise over a career in the corporate sector?

“To someone who hasn’t experienced this line of work, it may seem like I have given up on brighter prospects. But I perceive it as an opportunity- an opportunity to learn, to face challenges and overcome them.I have learnt tremendously from every role that I have played at Avanti. Whether it was recruiting 20 student mentors with the end of the semester around the corner; or interviewing & selecting 25 fellows from 400 applicants; or managing operations in Mumbai- each role has presented me with unique challenges that I learnt to overcome on the job. “

It is exactly this kind of hunger and adaptability that leaders of young organisations look for in their second line leaders. Co-founder of Avanti, Krishna Ramkumar says, “Passionate and capable second line leaders are crucial for successful implementation of a business plan. Most importantly, an organisation cannot scale impact without a large base of extremely committed second line leaders.

The most remarkable thing about Abbas is his drive &  ability to get things done and lead people at such a young age. Right from the beginning, he has pushed us to demonstrate impact and be increasingly accountable for our work.”

What does strong support from the second line leader really mean to the first line leaders? To quote from an article on NASSCOM’s blog, ‘While second line leaders are like the magic glue that plays a critical role during the tough late early stage of a company, they become your tigers who expand your territories during the company’s scale up phase. They understand the company, its vision, its people, its constraints above all what is it that as a company we are trying to do.’

Of Abbas in particular, Krishna says, “He has a great understanding of the ‘big picture’. This coupled with his thorough understanding of Avanti Fellows,  allowed me to give him a free rein in managing our daily operations.  As a result I had more time to focus primarily on organisational strategy, financing, recruiting and expansion.”

This solid relationship between the leadership and the first follower is evident from their mutual admiration.  “Krishna and Akshay have founded an incredible organisation.  Not just in terms of the work we do but also the organisational culture. It is a place where I have the liberty to express my opinions and have constructive arguments with my leaders. This kind of an environment allows us to take ownership of our work. So while we may be responsible for our  failures, the triumphs are also ours to own and cherish.”

When asked about his plans for the future Abbas says, “I will only be with Avanti so long as it needs me and the skills that I have to offer. The ability to understand this subtle difference between attachment and detachment is something I have learnt from Krishna and Akshay.  You do not stay around because you need the organisation but because the organisation needs you. “

So what comes after Avanti? ” Who knows? Once we are done here, maybe we can go on to try and solve the next problem?”, he adds with a hopeful smile.

(Atma Executive Director, Mary Ellen Matsui shares her thoughts on the role failure plays while striving for organisational excellence.)

“Last week I facilitated a workshop for one of our Partner Organisations where we were discussing organisational values. While one person talked about the value of ‘Failure’, another person brought up ‘Excellence’.I asked the group how it is possible to list both “failure” and “excellence” as organisational values; we all laughed.

Sure the irony is funny, but it is funnier because it is true. You cannot have excellence without failure. Failure has become a big buzz word over the last few years in non-profits and social enterprise. (In our blog a few weeks ago we talked about the Failure Report issued by Engineers Without Borders.) But why is talking about failure important? How is Failure related to excellence? How is failure related to our work at Atma?

In my work at Atma I work with many different NGO founders. I have the opportunity to talk to them about what’s going well in their organisations and what isn’t. What’s working and what isn’t. In fact, that is part of how we choose the NGOs we work with. The NGOs that are best able to articulate what they’re bad at, or where they need help, are the ones we’re really inclined to partner. It means not only will we be useful to them BUT that they know they need help, that they are not perfect but striving for excellence.

Atma cannot help bring about strong organisational development unless NGOs and the people behind them are willing to change.

So where does failure find a place in this discussion?

Talking about failure is really important. We all fail at some point. In the non-profit sector where we don’t have the traditional market indicators (sales, revenue etc.) to tell us if we’re doing a good job, talking about failure and knowing how and when you fail is especially important. Many non-profits and foundations don’t have strong tools for knowing if they are failing or succeeding. Years of work is based on anecdotal evidence that may or may not prove the effectiveness of an intervention. We all need to talk about how we fail and how we identify our failures. Failure is ok, just do it quickly, learn from it and try again.

How is Failure related to Excellence?

We’ve all heard the phrase “practice makes perfect”. It is common knowledge that any Olympian or a distinguished pianist has had hours and hours of practice ahead of a big game or performance. We know they had to stick to it for hours, days and years, to get it right; to become excellent. What is practice if not failing time and again until you get it right and become excellent?

The NGOs we work with expect their students to study hard and get problems wrong before they are able to master a concept. But as people running organisations do we give ourselves the same space to practice, to fail and eventually excel?

I’ve been there with our NGO leaders on failure days, when nothing seems to be going right. They call up panicked, sometimes close to tears, these are tough days. But knowing that we all face the same challenges, that many before have had the same problems helps them and me to overcome the hardest of times.

Persevering in the face of failure, persisting despite the odds, reworking, re-doing, editing (sometimes just trashing) our work is what will bring us to the place of excellence.”

“In August 2012 I graduated with a dual specialization in organizational and personnel psychology. Not entirely sure about committing to a life in the corporate sector I decided to travel to India for a little while.

On my trip to India however I did not want to see the sun, sea and beach alone; I also wanted to do something more meaningful. I wanted to taste the local life and I wanted to contribute to that life. After extensive research I applied to  Atma’s Volunteer Program. Working in a non-profit organization as a volunteer gave me a certain sense of satisfaction. A feeling that I had not experienced yet in other jobs, internships or extracurricular activities.  I realised that NGOs  give you the opportunity to nurture your professional ambitions whilst also doing meaningful work. Deadlines take on a whole new meaning when the work you do has the power to change someone’s life.

As an Atma Volunteer I was placed with one of their Partner Organisations- Avanti Fellows. Avanti is an NGO that selects, trains and mentors some of India’s brightest students from disadvantaged communities to pursue higher education. I was very inspired by the people at Avanti Fellows because they are extremely motivated and passionate. They work 24/7, straight from the heart. Their work is a mission. During my Volunteership I put together HR policies, an employee handbook and a movie for Avanti Fellows.

One of my favourite memories is when due to some unforeseen circumstances I had to make a spontaneous trip to the Avanti Fellows Chapter in Pondicherry to shoot a short film.  The suddenness of the trip meant that I was completely unprepared. It was only when I reached Pondicherry did I realise that I had nothing to worry about.  My colleague and her family were extremely warm hosts during my entire stay.

Our visits to the schools in Pondicherry where Avanti Fellows worked were overwhelming to say the least. My short four day trip turned out to be a very intense experience. One that I shared with my wonderful colleague. I remember being extremely emotional when she dropped me off to the bus that was to bring me back to Mumbai. Here was a woman I had never met before, but she had opened up her life to me- a complete stranger. This was just one of the many moments when I felt privileged to be part of this world.

My experience at Atma helped me gain new perspectives into my own life. I discovered what is important to me and what I truly enjoy. The Atma team is a diverse group of people, many of whom have switched over from the corporate sector. It helped me realise that it would be possible to have a highly satisfying career in the development sector in my home country too. I am so thankful to Atma for this experience. If an opportunity like this were to ever present itself I would take it up in a heartbeat!”

(Since her Volunteership with Atma , Bo has joined a non-profit organisation in the Netherlands that works for press freedom all over the world.)