In 2011, as I met more people blinded by Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), the same disease that blinded me in 1991, I realized conditions in India weren’t better twenty years since I became blind.
In those twenty years, India’s global reputation as the software hub lifted several thousands out of poverty, created new-age entrepreneurs and established its engineering talent. The smartphone revolution swept the globe and made information gathering much easier.
But people with RP in India struggled without help and support, just as how it was for me in 1991.
That’s when I decided to tell my story: the trauma of learning that I was afflicted with a cruel eye disease that would gradually blind me –and thousands like me.
The disease has no cure, but if people going through gradual vision loss are offered support, encouragement and help with handling technology, they can lead a normal life despite vision loss, just like me.
I authored my memoir, gave speeches, wrote blogs and made YouTube videos to propagate that message. Making life better for RP patients has become my life mission and you can directly trace it back to my personal story.
You have a personal story too, but the point is, the story is obscured by several real life issues like job, stigma and having to live in a social environment that doesn’t help discover your real value. But the fact is, if you reach the core of your story, you can build a strong personal narrative that would resonate with your target audience, be it an employer, investor or donor.
As we spend time in the Coronavirus lockdown, I thought this’s perhaps the best time to share my experience of telling the story that moves people into supporting you. It’s not a great secret, but I’ve done that and I can give you clear steps to do that.
I’m doing it in five half hour sessions beginning on Thursday April 2 10 am Indian time (-5.5 hrs GMT). It will go till Tuesday April 6. It’s going to be in Zoom.
And what more, you can learn while also contributing to feeding the jobless labourers stuck on the streets of Bangalore and those without homes who are trapped in the curfew. This’s the only thing I ask of you in return because, like people with blindness, those without homes are struggling. Some of them are hungry, thirsty and find no means to feed their children and elderly.
Rotary Bangalore Indiranagar, a neighbourhood club I’ve associations, has launched a crowdfunding initiative to join the government to feed people without homes, jobs or money. The link for the crowdfunding is below. Please send Rs 500 (five hundred rupees), take a screen shot of the donation and mail it to me at lsubramani.visa@gmail .com.
The club would give 80G tax exemption for the donations you make and also a receipt. Details are in the crowdfunding page, which you can read in the below link as well.
I can’t wait more to share the things I know. Plese join me on Thursday. Don’t forget to donate and send me the screen shot.