Vivek Rustogi is our fellow from South Bangalore, Karnataka.

Her story, as she likes to put it, “wasn’t a very up and down ride” but is filled with a lot of love and support. Her parents had been really supportive of her education and decisions. Her son's work necessitated a move to Bangalore in the past two years. This relocation, however, opened her eyes to the social issues that she longed to address. She volunteered for social causes and loved helping people whenever she could but she needed a platform. A place through which she could reach a wider audience, help a few more people, teach a few more kids and empower a few more women. For her, The Indira Fellowship provided the ideal platform, amplifying her reach and empowering her to assist more people, educate more children, and uplift more women.

She says,” I was living in the comfort of my home. Even after living in a city like Bangalore, I wasn’t aware about the problems being faced by people at multiple levels”. She was amazed, at the same time sad to hear the troubles the women were facing and that’s where she realized that she had to work for them. When asked about the reason behind her resilience and empowerment, she dedicates it to her sisters. Sharing her goals with her sisters provided an unwavering source of encouragement, pushing her to dedicate even more effort.

Initially, she was a director at a Swedish cosmetic company and now she is running a college named International School of Management Sciences with her sisters. She says that education is the only means through which a greater change can be made so she is contributing in whatever capacity she can to that cause. However, she doesn’t just stop here. She went on to fulfill her wish to work in the social field. She conducted surveys amongst college going students, especially women regarding the issues they face with respect to sanitation and safety. She donated water tanks during the water crisis and worked to resolve waste management issues in Bengaluru. She asserts that she has become more aware and conscious of her surroundings and has developed a better understanding of problems faced by women and youth.

After serving the society, if she ever gets the chance, she would like to hold a political office so that she can reach and help a lot more people.