I am truly humbled by this recognition.
Throughout my volunteering journey—here in Canada, back in India, and in other countries—I’ve often been asked, “Why do you do it?” Actually, I’ve asked myself the same question many times.
When I look back, I realize that some values become part of you as you grow up. I grew up as the youngest in a family of seven, living in a 400-square-foot home until I was 19. My sisters and I didn’t have proper beds for many years; we slept on the floor with blankets or on the terrace. But we were happy. Everyone around us lived the same way, so it never felt like we were less privileged. In fact, my parents made sure we felt fortunate compared to others.
Growing up in a neighborhood where community TV and shared fridges were the norm taught me the value of togetherness. These early lessons shaped who I am today.
I am forever grateful to my parents for instilling these values. It’s easy to lose direction when resources are scarce, but they ensured we stayed grounded and hopeful. From humble beginnings, with my family earning less than $200 a month and only my father being the breadwinner, I went on to become a software engineer, the first entrepreneur in my family, and someone who has lived on three continents and traveled to over 20 countries. For this, I will be forever grateful.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: building equity for vulnerable and less privileged communities creates extraordinary socioeconomic returns. And it’s possible if we rise above biases.
I may be the first Gujarati in Canada, the first Indian in New Brunswick, or the first immigrant in Moncton to receive the King Charles III Coronation Medal. But what truly matters is staying humble, giving back to the community, and building equity where it matters.
For sure, this is a shared achievement with Binita Raval, Samurddhi & Samvedana, Kashyap Raval, and all my family members.
