Khula Manch 2011-2012: Featured Volunteers

Introducing PJI’s Khula Manch 2011—a gang full of energy, drama, fun, and sensitivity. These are the people who make PJI what it is: a space where we have fun, learn, and love each other. Each is unique in their own, but are together on the journey of “Me to We”.

These volunteers are at various stages of their journeys, but have all been with us for at least the past three months. This list will continue to evolve over time, as we are joined by new friends and old ones go to pursue their next opportunity in life. 

Our Active Citizens, in alphabetical order, are:

A member for the CVU team, Abhishek Chawariya is very mature for his age and very committed to his work. He always looks forward to learning. Given some work, you can count on Abhishek to finish it. He is very genuine, honest, and open to feedback.

Ankita Rawat is one of the liveliest volunteers at PJI. Although she has only been around for the past few months, she is already a crucial part of PJI with her heart and soul. She is a people person and ropes in everyone around her. Ankita was very helpful in developing the PJI facebook page for us. It has been a pleasure to have her in PJI, and we shall miss her and hope to see her here back!

Aprajita Sharma loves to learn and is keen to know as much as she can. She is always asking questions, which we love about her. She has been volunteering with the NGO Faith for some time and it is great to see the way she has engaged with the kids there. She is someone who is really passionate about making a change in the society.

Ashish Khandelwal is sensitive and committed. He has been involved with Faith through the UVP Program for a while and his commitment, love for the children and the space is something to aspire to. We love seeing Ashish around and are always delighted to hear his stories. 

Ashutosh Nandwana has been with us for a long time and has grown beautifully over the years. His ability to receive feedback and move on through struggles is an inspiration for all the volunteers. In his journey from “ME to WE,” he has now gone to next step and starting his new venture “SHARE A SMILE.” He makes us proud and gives everyone smiles.

Banwari Bhamaniya is one of our older volunteers, who has been coming on and off to PJI but is nevertheless a core part of the space. He is our Self Defense champion, and has taught many of us how to defend ourselves and mobilized youth through his self-defense workshops around Jaipur. With always a smile on his face and lots of passion for this place, he deserves much praise.

Bhavya Soni, one of the older volunteers, is always supportive and had been a backbone for PJI. He writes beautiful poetry, plays the fiddle expertly, and is really passionate about these and other talents. Soft spoken, he is always helping us with his creative thoughts.

Bhomik Jain’s quest to explore self and his desire to share that with all gives us a lot of excitement and knowledge. An adventurer, he is always open to new avenues. Though he studies engineering, he is a master of many other skills. A Khoji to the core, always exploring more!

Deepa Jhangyani is our interior designer, and has been working very hard to make the space livelier and prettier. She is a hardworking girl with a sweet smile always on her face, whatever happens. You see her everyday working to get funding and discussing the new design with volunteers. It has been a pleasure to have Deepa around, and we are looking forward to the renovation of the office. 

Our Jolly Dolly wins our hearts with her smile. Her dedication and love gives us a lot of energy. She is Ssensitive to everyone’s need, soft spoken but with a determination to go on. One of the member of our Trimurthy gang who also takes PJI as her second home, she is someone everyone misses when she’s not around. 

Gunjan Thakur is a bolt of lighting that comes into PJI and spreads smiles and laughter all around. With so much love and energy, Gunjan calls PJI her second home and this home is definitely incomplete without her. Her inquisitiveness is contagious. She is our Chota Bomb.  

A true volunteer in the heart, Jaiveer Rathore brings a lot of joy and fun to PJI.  He is always open to feedback and change. Jaiveer is a gem of a person, loving and friendly involving everyone around him. It has bee great seeing Jaiveer growing, becoming a leader, and discovering his newfound love for theatre. We look forward to seeing more of his plays and the growth of his Action Project PUKAAR!

Jimmy Potter has given us “ANOKHA MOKA” and brought Kabir and Kabir ke dohe into the space. He is a great singer and the best thing in him his willingness to accept and try out new things—for example, his fluency in Hindi. Every time Jimmy is in PJI he brings a lot of smiles and happiness.

Jitendra Sharma is a passionate singer and poet. He is wonderful at articulating life’s experiences in words and through music. PJI is full of his fans of his poetry and singing. Jitendra has been with us for a while and is always around to support us and be with us.

Joey Stromberg is from the U.S. and taken a year off to volunteer in India. Professionally he is a journalist and an environmentalist. Joey has been with us for the past year and has been a big support in keeping us updated on our Blog and FB. He has loved and lived India and PJI to the fullest. He is someone eager to learn new things and especially Hindi. He is a favorite of all in PJI.

Keshav Modi is Pravah’s computer champion, but his skills go far beyond. He is someone who knows a lot and is always there in PJI wherever required. A blossoming entrepreneur, Keshav is on the way to success already. We hope to continue seeing him and his creative ideas in PJI.

Krishna Kumar comes into PJI quietly and is always in his own way sensitive to all. He has been learning to play flute and we are looking forward to hearing him play.

Over the past six months, Maneesha Singh has become a central part of PJI and we are all so sad to see her go. Her friendliness, enthusiasm, and energy makes her a big sister figure to everyone at PJI. For planning exciting new events, meeting new volunteers, or being a leader to help the group overcome challenges, no one is better than Maneesha. We wish her the best of luck in Delhi and thank her for being such an amazing presence in PJI!

Meenu Pareek, a member of the CVU team, is a hard worker and very kind as well. Whenever we need anything in PJI Meenu is the person to ask and she strives to help everyone. She is our perfect resource person and a crucial part of the space.

Mohamad Khalil strives to change the future of his community through the lens of camera. He is always one of the first to meet all new volunteers with a smiling face and very passionate about filmmaking.

Praveen Garg is always courteous and one of the sweetest boys around. He is always ready to help and have fun. His help in our database renovation is worth applause. Off to become a teacher, he will be a great one with a lot of patience and love.

Rahul Aggarwal is new to PJI and is already seen frequently. He is someone who takes on new ventures and has all the skills to complete them. Rahul is always ready to help out and is a valuable part of the PJI crew.

Rahul Sharma is part of the CVU team and is one of the CPs who is closest to our volunteers. He is someone who is open to new ideas and a good learner. Always smiling and dancing, he brings in a lot of energy to PJI every day. He aspires to become a filmmaker, and his technical skills give him great potential for accomplishing his dream.

 

Rajesh Khotiya can be quiet, but when he speaks, he is very observant and provides very clear analysis of the discussion. He is a big asset for PJI. He wants to continue to work as a filmmaker and want to make documentaries on issues related to marginalized communities.

Ravi Saini is one of the oldest volunteers of Pravah and the most frequent. His newfound love for jewelry-making and ‘Kabaad se Jugaad’ shows his creativity and we love it. Ravi’s down to earth attitude and sensitivity towards all the volunteers make him a good friend to everyone.

Ritansh Pandey, our rapper, wins everyone’s heart wherever he goes. For him, rap is a passion, as is using his musical skills to address social issues. His journey is an inspiration for all the new volunteers, as he brings a different side of music to the table. His passion and dedication towards his music is mind-blowing. We hope to see him in PJI more often and have him teach us how to RAP!

Sangeeta Deshwal enters PJI every time with a determination to do something. Once she has a job—be it calling volunteers, or messaging about an event—we know it will be done. She has been with us for over a year and has always been a support to us in whatever way possible, constantly ready to take on more. 

A singer and lyricist in making, we met Shivang Shukla during this year’s Fly Peace Campaign, and he won a lot of hearts through his singing. His simplicity and honesty is one of his strongest assets. Shivany is open to new ideas, and seeing him more often at PJI brings in fresh air for us. 

Shivangi Dadhich is a breath of fresh air for PJI. Her energy lights up the space every time she visits. She is always enthusiastic to try and learn new things. Though she has been here for only a few months, she has become an integral part of PJI and takes full ownership of the place.

Shyam Bansal has been with us only a little while, but has already brought in a lot of energy to the space. His ability to take different initiatives and readiness makes him an invaluable part of PJI. He is always ready on call and brings in new ideas for the growth of PJI. Shyam is truly a passionate young man with a lot of potential.

Bubbly Sonia Yadav is someone you know if given responsibility will always get the job done done. She is always ready to volunteer for PJI and gives us the support to go on. She makes tasty Maggi and feeds all of us with love. Our happy-go-lucky girl is always ready to accept her challenges and is always positive.