Week 2 is 2013 VOF Week 2

One’s life experiences make us who we are and for me every experience has driven me to believe in myself. From childhood the varied experiences helped me see girls and women as those who can change the world.

It took me many years to come to terms with my own issues. As a child I had my share of tears, but the fact that I was abused by my own cousins was something I didn’t have answers to. My cousins would beat me physically the time we spent our holidays at my mother’s maternal home. Apart from this trauma, was the fact that my elder sister who was a witness to it all, never uttered a word of it to my parents. She never did console me either. The nightmares took their toll but importantly, it taught me very early in my days that I had to fight my own battles.

My experiences left me with a clear sense of right and wrong and the fight for justice. The struggle to work on different levels and our ability to fight the situation taught me one thing never to fear. And this could be the main factor to drive me to become a journalist. I wanted a purpose. Some great minds have guided me and taking from them, I ask myself – who am I, what is my purpose and what do I do in the hours I’m awake? I have no plans or options to anything in life, as many suggest one must. I believe in the true spirit of life – I am just a small being in the whole society and universe, we are all inter-connected and hence each is connected with the other and eventually the social whole, the society.

Since childhood I believed anything I do must have a purpose and that includes my work. I love and I’m best at nothing but news. The goal of journalism is to inform and today, I do see women playing an integral role in this. The stories of women from across the world beginning with oneself are unique and compelling. As I’ve said before I love my city, Bombay, (renamed to Mumbai, like women’s names change after marriage), and I am happy to make my niche my own city. My partner and I are co-founders of a youtube channel and now I’ve started my own language channel – www.youtube.com/bombaychimumbai. My city has given me the strength to NOT fear and I have been given the Mayor’s Award for bringing pride to the city on March 8, 2010, for International women’s day. I believe this was a reward for the woman I am, the causes i chose and stories i've covered.

We have our stories and we can tell them best.