Sunday 16 March 2014

Mamta Joshi – Pillar of Support




Mamta Joshi - a font of energy and goodwill

Whenever we send out an appeal for funds for a special occasion, I know that Mamta’s is one of the first voices I’ll hear on the phone, pledging her support to the current cause.

When we needed sponsors for the ‘street-children’s lunch’  looked after by Sarva Seva Sangh, Mamta stepped forward with alacrity. Another time, it was for sponsoring a musician. On other occasions it has been sponsoring gift items for the care-givers at the Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre, sweets for a programme, lunch for the children at Maher or prizes for the Sportsday at PRC. Mamta is always the first person to e-mail or call back with a re-assuring offer.

And it’s not just the financial help. If Mamta is in town, I can rest assured, she’ll volunteer her time to accompany me - to our various programs, for our gifts-and-prize-buying-trips. She has built up a wonderful rapport with the soldiers at PRC, many of whom are from the same native place, and they look forward to chatting with her.

For a person who packs in so much travel within and outside the country’s borders, this is a tremendous feat indeed, and I feel so elated when she sends me a mail from Florida or New York (as the case may be) with a ‘Mita, count me in’! Her way of celebrating her children’s birthdays and other festivals is to sponsor a treat at any of these organizations we help out. 

It was my daughter Chandana (who was then working at TMTC) who first introduced Mamta to me, as the ‘wonderful lady in charge of the library’. We lost touch after that, but it was Mamta who found us again, and in her unobtrusive but firm manner became such an integral part of Team Miracle.

Mamta has a fairly busy schedule between her family and profession. A librarian, she has the daunting task of setting up libraries for various corporate houses. She also keeps her two children (in the USA) happy with frequent visits. And in between, she has her various welfare activities. Being a part of Team Miracle is just one of them.

Thank you Mamta for being such a pillar of support…and such a source of positive energy!