The Power of Volunteering

At 17, Ishita Roy wanted to “do something meaningful,” but didn’t know where to start. One summer, she joined a neighborhood cleanliness drive led by a local NGO. What began as a weekend plan soon turned into a passion. She started tutoring underprivileged kids on Sundays, teaching English and Math. Every small milestone—like helping a girl spell her name for the first time—gave her a sense of purpose she never found in textbooks. Through volunteering, she gained leadership skills, empathy, and perspective. It also shaped her future—she applied for social work in college and now works with a youth-led development project. “Volunteering changed me from the inside out,” Ishita says. “I went in to give—but I received so much more.”