Foreword from Po

I saw Archana once – when she was visiting her younger sister, my classmate – Asheta. There was a huge fire accident in our school in our 6th grade, even now a nightmare to those involved and Asheta was injured. Her sisters – Archana and Amrita had come with her to show all of us that her recovery was going quite well. I cannot understand the pain they must have been in to see their baby sister in pain, but for the rest of the class, these older sisters kept smiling because they wanted us to be brave. That is who I see in Archana even now – that kind yet brave warrior spirit. I don’t really follow anyone on Facebook, and there are very few people I follow, and one of them is Asheta. I always want to know all the amazing events that Archana is organizing. One day it’s donating books and one day it’s just biscuits. Whatever she’s doing she always does ‘Bring A Smile’ in a kid. All my life, I’ve wanted to help someone else, actually make a difference, and here is a woman who is already doing it, without hesitation. She’s helping the future of the country – the kids – to get an education and make sure their education is going well. Her Facebook page is filled with such great moments that want me to jump in with her and help all of these young minds.

I might not have the most inspiring life, but I did build it up all by myself, occasionally with the help of family and friends. I do not have just one role model in my life. I do not have just one inspiration in my life. Inspiration comes to us in all forms. One day it’s from my dear friend Shilpa, and the next day it’s from Henry Cavill and another day it’s from my little Arlo. There’s so much that we can learn from just one person. Archana is that one person that will always be my inspiration when I want to help those around me. Archana doesn’t have to be famous to be an inspiration, her work speaks for her. There’s absolutely nothing she is to gain from helping others, except the satisfaction and the feeling of jubilance. It doesn’t matter where you are from, or what you do, if you want to do you can do it. I am very proud to call Archana an Annite and a person who I know. I cannot wait to see what more she will do.

 

ARCHANA SURESH

Full Name – Archana Suresh

Education – MBA

When did you guys launch? – Bring a Smile was started in 2012.

 

 

I don’t want to start by asking you what made you start helping people. A lot of us want to help but can’t find enough motivation to, what motivated you?

My mom’s demise in 2014 (she was just 60), was the turning point in my life. I lost her to breast cancer. I was 32 with 2 younger sisters.

How was it in the starting?

Bring a Smile was my mom’s idea that I began executing in October 2012. As is the case with most initiatives, the beginning was slow and the journey had a few takers.

What are some of the obstacles that you had to face and how did you overcome them? Were there any rejections?

The obstacles were more in the form of juggling roles of being a mom, daughter, sister, wife and working professional. There were no rejections per se just no definite time commitment from people because everyone’s doing a balancing act. I overcame them by staying steadfast to my intent – to be a conduit between people who had plenty, to people who didn’t have much.

How supportive was your family? Do they participate with you in the events?

My husband Ashok was supportive from Day 1. He ended up coming on multiple Collection and Distribution Drives too. Both my sisters did the same. My dad has been very encouraging too.

Do your kids want to help others too? How do they react when you tell them you are helping hundreds of kids?

My daughter is 7 and she’s aware of the privileged existence she and her school-mates have. It is important to inculcate qualities of gratitude and empathy in kids in their growing years.

Do you have a day job or are you always a Wonder Woman?

Yes, I have a day job and hence the continuous journey of multi-tasking!

Who inspires you the most in your everyday life?

Every day people inspire me. Their quality of putting others before themselves draw’s my attention. Kindness demonstrated by random strangers warms my heart. The overarching essence to this is my mom as a role model though. She continues to be the essence of why Bring a Smile has reached where it has.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tidSdWeox5I – My TED X Talk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whXVKl7ZZAw – The Better India video

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? Do you think this is the place you thought you would be 10 years ago?

I didn’t see myself here 10 years ago! I see myself continuing to play conduit in people’s lives even if it’s only by connecting people /helping them leverage the strengths of each other (through my skill of networking). And spreading a little kindness along the way.

What would you tell those who want to help but are scared of trying? How do you think they should start?

One just needs to keep their head down and work towards what one truly believes in. You’ve got to ask yourself, what would you love to do if you were woken up at 3 AM. That is your passion. Don’t look for the entire landscape. Just take one small step at a time. You’ll be surprised at how much distance you’ll cover.

Bring A Smile definitely brings a smile to everyone whose life you walk into, do you have plans for other social causes?

So far, Bring a Smile has distributed used but reusable basic necessities to underprivileged people in and around Hyderabad (we’ve distributed 39,000 units between October 2012 to October 2018). We’ve distributed 3500 blankets between 2015-2017. We also support 3 pillars – Education, Health care and Infrastructure assistance. I also believe in creating an eco-system of support so we in turn support at least 10 Founders of various causes in some form or the other.

 

We all want to do something extra for the world around us, sometimes to make ourselves feel better and sometimes to show our kids that the world needs help, but whatever your reason may be, do it. JUST DO IT. If you do not know where to start, do take the help from NGO’s and NPO’s that are dedicated to making someone’s life better. You might think your donations are not much, but they are really helpful. If you live in America, your dollars definitely add up to more Rupees that will certainly help Bring A Smile a lot in the future, and also the thousands of children and underprivileged that they help.

We want BRING A SMILE to be a smashing hit! Thank you for everything you are doing to make the world a better place Archana! I hope more Archanas rise out and make a difference.

 

Love,
Pooh & Po