"It was my daughter who pushed me to get out of the house and do something. I had been cooped up inside for almost six months since I just didn't want to meet anyone. I started working with an NGO for the blind and I saw that as a turning point in my life. I worked there as a volunteer for four years," she says looking back over her life.
Within six months of volunteering at the NGO, Rachna stopped taking her depression pills, as she felt better both physically and emotionally.
When asked how she started helping kids who are terminally ill, she says, "I was part of a Gurudwara from where volunteers would go to AIIMS once a week to distribute food (langar), I started going along with them. I remember seeing the plight in which these families lived, and also remember seeing a girl die on the footpath. That changed me."
It was in 2016 that Rachna started working full time to help kids who are terminally ill and come to AIIMS for treatment. "AIIMS provides free treatment for those who are Below Poverty Line (BPL) card holders. However, in working with the children I realised that the parents who brought their children here had absolutely nothing with them. And living and surviving in Delhi is not an easy task."
Rachna and her group, which she calls, Givers for a Cause fill this gap. They ensure financial, emotional, and material help to the families of the children. "Given how much these children are suffering and going through, my only aim is to keep them happy and do everything towards that cause.
The children are already stressed and in pain, so to help bring a dash of colour and happiness in their day, Rachna and her able team of volunteers conduct various activities for the children – storytelling, drawing and craft, and even just having conversations with them. "We try and fulfil all their wishes, some big and some small," says Rachna. Rachna and her friends , along with other volunteers go prepared with material for 125 kids and for two hours, they make merry on the footpath.
I started with Rs 5,000 and two friends to help me. We have people who see what we post on social media and end up sending diapers, cookers, juice machines, stationery, clothes etc.," she says.
It begins with a post on the team's social media page, where Rachna mentions what they need for a child. Everything that is sent for that child is accounted for and the child also knows the names of those who sent the material. The phone number of the parents is also shared with the donor to ensure complete transparency.