Keep being kind...it's good for your health

Leadership isn’t about busyness for its own sake; it’s about staying present enough to see the needs that appear in front of us each day. Even in a busy school office, the pressures of all the 'important' things in our schedule can dull our awareness of the ongoing needs within our school community. We must guard our daily calendars against eclipsing compassion, pausing to really listen, to observe, and respond, and carve out moments to check in with the people we spend our day with. People really notice when the Principal notices them.

This thought is still just as important, even though I am no longer working. I’m trying hard to shift my focus from my own pressures to helping others. When I do this, I feel grounded and recharged, and my energy, skills, and passions are directed toward something larger than myself. It’s a very satisfying feeling. One of the keys to healing and recovery from burnout (or any mental health challenge) is found in serving, giving, and being positioned for strategic and spontaneous acts kindness.

It’s why I haven’t stopped my volunteer work with Project Help India. I’m grateful that my professional experiences translate to a very different place and context. Yet, at the end of the day, there’s something very much the same about kids wherever they are all over the planet. As I reflect on the work we do at Project Help India, child safeguarding is at the core of who we are. Serving alongside a gifted team across Kotdwara, Bijnor, Punjab, and beyond, I’ve seen how protection, education, and dignity are inseparable. It’s a daily commitment guiding every decision, partnership, and interaction with the children and families we serve.

Last month in October, three examples illustrate our impact led by our team:

1. Strengthened child-protection collaborations: A first-of-its-kind meeting chaired by the Additional Superintendent of Police (Bijnor) brought together the Juvenile Justice Board, CWC officers, Anti-Human Trafficking Unit leaders, and police officials. Amrit Samuel, our Project In-Charge, shared field insights from Kotdwara and Bijnor to map concrete prevention and rehabilitation pathways with dignity and speed.

2. Community education in action: Our senior slum-centre students joined railway police for an anti-drug awareness street play at Kotdwar Station, delivering a powerful, community-driven message about drug harms.
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3. Elevating our profile: Uttarakhand Police featured Project Help India on their official page, boosting our visibility and credibility statewide.

Looking ahead, our Child Advocacy Summit initiative, launched in 2024 in Punjab and Uttarakhand, continues to gain momentum. Planning for the next Summit in March is underway, expanding cross-sector collaboration to protect at-risk children. If you share this commitment, might you consider partnering or supporting our work. Please message me if you’d like to know how.

See Project Help India for more information