Our Team

Sapana Singh Appiah

Even after all these years, watching their eyes light up when they know the answer, and then show unbridled enthusiasm to give the answer is a complete joy. The unconditional love and adoration they give me, makes me feel like a complete Rockstar. The fact that by just sharing a basic skill I possess – spoken English, I am able to instil the confidence in children to access better opportunities and have the ability to change their lives, is an amazing privilege.
My work in various fields – television production, event management, and teaching have honed my communicative, creative, organisational, and people management skills, and given me the ability to think on my feet and capture and keep the attention of a classroom full of kids.

 Chethana Marla

Aarunya gave me an opportunity to make a visible and lasting change in the lives of children. Joining Aarunya has been by far one of the best decisions I have made in my life! Giving is truly better than receiving, and I am reminded about this every day when I walk into an Aarunya class and feel the enthusiasm of the children as their confidence and self-esteem grow along with their English skills. Their resilience and optimism in the face of very adverse circumstances are truly humbling. The fact that I can use my communication and organizational skills, homed in my career as a technical analyst and subsequently an entrepreneur, to help Aarunya grow, and continue to help even more children is icing on the cake.

 Asha Jaju

Changing something in the lives of others, gives meaning to my life here, beyond simply looking after myself. For me, it changes my life from being purely self-centred to being something with meaning. I volunteer not so much to help others, but to gain some perspective about my own life. Teaching is 100% learning! Giving the students something to do, and if the doing requires thinking; learning naturally results.

 Harsha Sodha

I have been associated with various volunteering programs which all involve teaching underprivileged children. Of these, Aarunya has the most organised, focused and effective program I have encountered. The difference it makes in these children’s lives is evident. It gives greater meaning to my life and I am proud to be part of such a program

Rohini Bopanna

” If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; if you teach him to fish, you feed
him for a lifetime.”
I can think of no better quote that sums up what Aarunya does. The extremely
hardworking and dedicated team of volunteers that form the heart of Aarunya inspire
commitment and I am grateful for the opportunity to be one among them.

Shashikala Venkatesh

The discrimination that I see in our society, between children studying in English medium and those studying in Kannada medium schools is one of the reasons I am with Aarunya – so that I can help as many kids as possible to speak in English. I was also impressed by the level of commitment shown by the volunteers in the Aarunya core group and the interest that they showed in training the new volunteers.
My passion for teaching from a very young age coupled with my teaching experience for the past 26 years has really helped me make a difference to the lives of children belonging to the lower socio-economic group.

Surekha Shetty

Volunteering to teach communicative English in government schools gives me a meaningful opportunity to contribute to educational equity and empowerment. Seeing the children in the Aarunya program blossom and grow in confidence and self-esteem is an absolute joy. The children’s determination and perseverance to learn despite the many challenges they face is inspiring. Their joy is contagious and it’s a pleasure to be around them. I could be having a disaster of a day at home and work, but an hour with the children always energizes me and puts a smile back on my face.