To contribute to the society, you don’t necessarily have to dive deep into “social work”, you can very well work on your growth and alongside help someone somewhere do the same. All that it calls is for you to set your intention and priorities right.

My thought that weighs a bit more after having talked to the inspiring 24 year-old Civil Engineer from BITS Pilani, Naman Munot. Currently pursuing a Master degree in Physics from IIT Delhi, the determination and thought-clarity of this young lad can’t be applauded enough. He has worked for the old-aged, guided many startups, and is currently engaged in distributing masks to the children living on the streets of Delhi to protect them from the harmful aftermath of Smog.

“There are 4.4 M children in Delhi, and according to the statistics half of them i.e. 2.2 M children have already gotten infected with irreversible lung damage. My aim is to provide masks to 3K children by the end of this month, and I have it calculated that if 1400 people set the same goal, all the 4.4 M children can be reached and helped!”

Naman was on a bus to Pilani when I called him, and though our call suffered a heavy network disturbance, but you don’t want to miss on his views, trust me on that!

How did you develop the passion to work for the elderly people?

I am that way since childhood. Even when I was three-four, I would take things from home and go out and give to elderly people I would see around. I have stayed with my grandparents since the beginning, so perhaps that had a role to play.

Haven’t heard a more honest and simple explanation to this question!

Tell me about your relationship with your grandparents. Your fond memories, the lessons they taught you?

It was great. Very cool, he added. We’d watch TV together, I’d walk them to park, and press their feet in the evenings. Something that my parents also had to do, he laughingly shared. My grandfather also believed in social service, he was always in the community service, helping the poor in every way possible. And that earned him immense respect in the community.

He further remembered, and his good will was the reason that at his funeral, a huge number of people turned up at our door to remember him. For him, it wasn’t about helping through money alone; he believed in participating, and not merely playing spectator to a situation.

What did you gather from their relationship with each other?

They shared a very loving relationship, and were very much in love, had eight kids, and saying that, slyly laughed. My grandmother became rather lonely after he passed away.

A word of advice to millennials on initiating a social activity?

I think choosing your priority is the key. For instance, I had to miss office for a week recently while I was out distributing masks to kids in Delhi. I am doing an internship currently, and that long a break could have made me lose on the opportunity to get absorbed by the company. So I think it really does come down to what you wish to give priority to, and of course, effective management of the other important priorities, which sometimes may need to take a back seat for the greater good of the community.

How is your experience of interacting with the kids phasing?

Very well. I carry a set of 14 posters with me to explain them the reasons behind the smog, and to answer their ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions. It needed me to go in-depth talking to them about the other health issues they must have suffered in the past, and I then go and check them in three days.

There are 4.4 M children in Delhi, and according to the statistics half of them i.e. 2.2 M children have already gotten infected with irreversible lung damage. My aim is to provide masks to 3K children by the end of this month, and I have it calculated that if 1400 people set the same goal, all the 4.4 M children can be reached and helped!

Have some of your friends also converted to volunteers?

Yes, many from the BITS chain planning community have. Few alumni from US and other countries also called up asking about how they can help, and wished to fund for the masks.

I asked him if he has a team now, “No, not yet. I am doing things by myself, and have so far distributed 1500 masks, but that is still less, I want to first reach my target.”

Naman Munot

Dance Video 15 – In the Gym

Okay! By the way, I saw a rather intriguing ‘dancing at gym’ video of yours – what other hidden talents do you have?

Ha-ha yeah. I learned it in college, in first year. Uhmm, I am also a little into filmmaking. And I asked, sketching also, right? Oh yes, sketching, too!

I gathered about his sketching skills also through Facebook, take a look:

Naman Munot

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Speaking of sketching, you were helping a Cancer patient collect fund through his sketches. Tell me about that.

Yes, that was last year. He is an artist, and to help collect fund for his operation, he wanted to sell his sketches. I helped him do that, by putting it online and through my Facebook. A lot of people from the BITS community bought them. And we made about 70,000 from it.

Is he in better health now, I asked, “Yes!”

Naman Munot

I am trying to sell paintings by a 4th phase cancer patient who is arranging money for his operation by making drawings in hospital. Please help him by buying his paintings. If interested to buy any…

And you also used to give talks to help startups grow into Market Giants! Few guiding points you’d want to share with the to-be women entrepreneurs?

1. The foremost thing to keep in mind is to get out and talk to people. I know it’s a bit difficult given our society setup, but meeting new people is what helps you plan further. The insights that you can receive from it, can turn out extremely helpful.
2. Secondly, based on my experience, and this is particularly for those in the age group of 20-25 – choose one thing in life, one skill that you wish to focus on, and then just work towards developing it. Make it the top priority!
3. If there is something that you want to give a try and learn, just go ahead, even if it is a “men-dominated” occupation. If you think you can be good at it, don’t shy away.

Which brings me to my last question, the most important women in your life?

My mother, my sister, and… And, I asked? My friends… can’t take their names, he slowly replied. And then I heard a shy laughter. (Ha-ha)