Lighting lives

Philanthropic-giving has taken a whole new dimension worldwide. With endless talks about bridging socio-economic gaps on a loop since time immortal, the Lighthouse Project might just be a more hands-on and less all-talk initiative for the altruistically minded. The idea in itself is cinch: through one-on-one mentoring, the educated urban youth will connect with the hapless to create ‘effective contributors in society’, one child at a time. From helping 30 Salaam Baalak Trust mentees develop stronger relationships and by proffering them with life skills, the aim of the project is to have the tug of war between giving and taking reach a grinding halt.

Creating a connect
Officially launched last weekend in the presence of Farhan Akhtar, who highlights the importance of a role model in the life of a child who is extremely impressionable at that age, the Lighthouse project pairs 30 mentors with 30 mentees from different parts of the city. Under the umbrella of Raindance, a not-for-profit organisation, the Lighthouse Project is in fact a project conceptualised and led by Trishya Screwvala, founder and director of Raindance.

The young woman, better known as the daughter of Ronnie Screwvala, founder of UTV, considers the Lighthouse Project as a brainchild that is much close to her heart. “In a world where mentoring programs are quite prevalent, India still falls far behind in terms of having platforms for sustained volunteering,” reveals Trishya. She aims to provide soft skills to mentees over the duration of three years while their education is looked over by the trust. “We teach them goal-setting, decision-making, career-mapping amongst many other life skills that we believe will add value to their lives and help them get where they want,” explains the passionate young woman. 

On a positive note
Financial analyst, Viveck Panjabi, who was shortlisted as a mentor within the project, is ecstatic at the idea of starting his mentoring endeavour. Head bubbling with innovative ideas on how to effectively interact with his mentee, the 23-year-old has faith in the novelty of the project. “Having weekly meetings with a less-fortunate child, where nothing else but the bond between the mentee and I matters, it will be quite a humbling experience,” he shares. All it takes sometimes is that little boost to get ahead in life and “The Lighthouse Project will act as that guidance and that light for under-resourced communities in dire need of positivity and hope.”

Reality check
So, does it work both ways in a world where charitable ventures are saturated with chaotic buzz and less-than-satisfactory results? SoBo resident Rishad Mehta, also founder of a technology company that aims at creating next-gen e-commerce applications, is also a mentor in the project and he makes no bones about it. “We cannot define this movement in a black and white manner.” He does not think he will change a child’s life–that, to him, would be much too navel-gazing; however, he does believe in the potential such a project holds in altering a mentor’s outlook towards life.

He explains that while each mentor will have a unique roadmap that will be followed throughout the duration of the mentorship, he thinks, “It will be the perfect way for many (of them) who live in their ivory towers to step out and smell the coffee.” A putrid one, that too, if we had to go by Rishad’s thoughts. “We have, for a long time, been engulfed in our selfish ‘privileged’ thoughts and lifestyles and this project is a great way to give a fair amount of that time back to society,” he shares. One that Viveck refers to as the “perfect reality check for us to change our perception towards society.”

A different take
This is just where cynics such as Amisha Sharma*, a 27-year-old English tutor, steps in. “When giving is disconnected from caring, it becomes charity in the worst sense of the word,” she shares. A cynic true to her anti-charity-hugger beliefs, she does not think charitable ventures such as the Lighthouse Project enrich a child’s life; instead she feels it will only make the kid aware of the social disparities that exist between him and his privileged mentor. The reasoning is simple. According to Amisha, “Get a rich kid and have him or her impart an under-privileged child in a patronising manner. How is that for a life lesson?” she spiels, venomously.

So while the detractors might look at this project as a mockery of self-sacrifice–a mere proxy to mask lavish lifestyles and the moral value of past expensive choices, Trishya Screwvala, on the other hand, strongly believes in the potential of her initiative. “The whole point is to steer away from that wide social gap that has been extant for years in India,” she explains. “By having a one-on-one session between mentor and mentee in a safe and objective environment, we are building a connect that would not exist in another charitable effort.” She admits that it might just be one drop in the ocean in terms of making a difference and understands Sharma’s valid concerns but Screwvala’s refute is straightforward, “Sitting back and admitting that there are indeed disparities in our society and not doing anything about it would not be a better alternative, would it?”

Still in its initial stages, the Lighthouse Project will see the light of day on September 15, with its first training session. Ambitious, youthful, and driven by the belief of the inherent goodness in man, will this be a guiding light for the next generation?

*Name changed on request