Mandala

Mandala

Learning to Accept 

The Difference

beyond what is expected. Numerous people are  

learning that their sexual orientation is unique  

from others and are unsure about how to handle  

it. To support these people, Suramya Life has a  

helpline (+91 8090009868) through which it offers  

free advice and guidance on their concerns. 

The efforts that Anshoo and her NGO are making  

are insufficient, and many problems call for  

institutional intervention and transformation. This  

is because an individual cannot battle against social  

discrimination and marginalisation alone. She  

says, “To bring about change that is accommodating  

of those who are traditionally disadvantaged, a  

Anshoo Srivastava creating a secure place for the LGBTQIA+ in the community The majority of people are unaware  

that the LGBTQIA+ community is  one of society’s most disregarded and  marginalised groups. The only occasions we  see them at all are when they are begging at  the signals or at someone’s wedding for tips,  or meeting in certain groups or locations if  they are younger. We don’t know about their  traumatic experiences, how they manage their  sexual identity, stress, or the physical abuse  they endure. The founder and director of the  non-profit organisation, Suramya Life, Ms.  Anshoo Srivastava, had a natural tendency  to help those in need by offering counselling  and support. She is attempting to improve the  mental, emotional, and physical health of the  LGBTQIA community through this NGO. 

Anshoo claims that disregarding this  community is only one issue; the prejudice and  mental abuse they experience go above and  

significant portion of our mental health activism  involves engaging with the government and other  commercial institutions and organisations.” 

Anshoo is right in saying that raising people’s  awareness of the problems faced by a section  of our society is the first step towards bringing  about change. Because of this, the Social Welfare  Department of the Government of Uttar Pradesh  and Amity University have implemented awareness  and sensitisation campaigns about the LGBTQIA+  community. The goal of the organisation is to give  the Indian community a secure place where they  can talk about their psychological and emotional  problems.Anshoo hosts a number of awareness raising activities in keeping with their aim. They  hosted Queer Eve – The Night of a Thousand  Rainbows in 2022. Anshoo concludes, “We  sincerely think that people can be empowered  to overcome their problems if they are provided  with sufficient coping mechanisms for stress,  rejection, trauma, and failure. An individual who  is psychologically healthy is most productive.” 

10 LifePositive | JANUARY 2023 

The Patron  

saint oF Hope Cancer is a great  

challenge in  

itself, but  

looking for a safe place  

to stay during the  

treatment makes it even  

more daunting for the  

victim and their family.  

Mr Nihal Kaviratne  

from Mumbai and  

his wife realised this,  

especially about people  

from rural areas, in an  

event he attended. They  

felt that they needed to  

do something about  

it. He says, “I made a  

promise that I would  

do something to assist  

the little ones and their  

families.”  

A beacon of hope for the cancer stricken families 

have won the battle  against cancer are able  to fulfil their potential.  This vertical provides  timely assistance to their  alumni—referred to as  Judians—to complete their  education, maintain good  health, and lead successful  lives, thus becoming a role  model for others too.  

The couple states that  this was possible only  because of the support  they received from people  which includes doctors  and their partner hospitals  who provided guidance  and encouragement at  every stage, united by  the purpose of helping  children survive cancer.  

To make a difference, Mr Kaviratne and his  wife founded St. Jude India ChildCare Centres  in 2006 for children suffering from cancer who  did not have a clean place to stay in the city. It  initially started in Mumbai with eight children.  Gradually, people started seeing their work and  asked them to start this initiative elsewhere as  well. Today, St. Jude provides quality care to  more than 492 children and their families at  39 centres in nine cities in Mumbai, Kolkata,  Hyderabad, Jaipur, Chennai, Vellore, Guwahati,  Delhi, and Varanasi. 

Mr Kaviratne and his wife launched a new  vertical in 2020 to ensure that children who  

They thank the Divine and are grateful to their  donors, patrons, and well-wishers who have put  their faith in them and supported them through  the years, making the struggles of the children  easier. 

The two good Samaritans are happy to have done  their best for these young fighters who need a lot  of support and hope from society. The children  would earlier struggle with their parents for a  clean place to stay, but this has changed due to  their efforts. They have shown all of us how to  reach out to those who need support by providing  all fighters with a loving space to make their  fight a wee bit easier.

- By Jamuna Rangachari 

Mandala 11 

Waltzing Through The  Winter of Life 

becomes easier since the younger ones assist  

the older ones in getting the steps.  

Line Dancing is done individually:  

participants stand in lines and move around  

facing different walls depending on the  

choreographed routine. There are different  

kinds of tempos—waltz, salsa, rhumba, and  

so on. Marita says, “The main advantage of  

Line Dancing over other styles is that you  

don’t require a partner. You learn at your own  

pace and are responsible for your own moves.”  

Everyone has a good time as she does not  

expect them to get the steps right. They are  

told that if they make a mistake, they should  

tell themselves that they have improved on the  

choreography, pat themselves on the back, and Seniors dancing to the tune of lifemove on. Self-expression is encouraged and not  

There is a common adage, “Dance like  

nobody is watching you.” This saying  comes from the thought that most  people think they can’t dance and become self conscious when dancing, but Marita Nazareth, a  corporate trainer, is altering people’s view with  her “Line Dancing for Seniors” programme.  We have a large senior population that is  expanding year after year. Even though they  are no longer leading busy lifestyles, they still  have the capacity to give and want to interact  with others and be heard. Hence, Marita had  the brilliant idea of channelling this energy.  “Too little is being done to access the abilities  of elders,” she says. “They should be energised,  not tranquillised!” 

One way to keep seniors energised is to give  them an opportunity to dance. Marita began  Line Dancing classes for seniors 10 years ago.  She now finds that it is much more fun to  offer it to all age groups so that the interaction  

the uniformity that most dance classes expect. Marita adds, “Dancing keeps one focussed and  in the present moment since you have to try  and remember the steps; so there is no room for  worrying about personal problems! Our students  claim it’s the best de-stressor they have during the  week.” According to her, learning new movements  regularly stimulates one’s grey cells and is a  fantastic kind of cerebral workout. It is a great  physical exercise that may enhance the motor  system and help them gain strength, stamina, and  flexibility. 

In her capacity as a facilitator of workshops, Marita  states, “I would love to offer regular edutainment  (education and entertainment combined) sessions  on topics like Stress Management, Physical and  Emotional Well-being, and Creating an Exciting  Future. Life begins at 60!” 

Marita gives dance classes at Agatsu Foundation  in Bandra.Her email ID is maritaofnazareth@ gmail.com