Interview with Nupur Tewari | Heal Tokyo
I hope this can inspire you to becomea successful social entrepreneur too!Why is it important to hear the story of a successful social entrepreneur?
Having the vision to become a social entrepreneur is great. Making it happen is another story!
The story of real people, like you and me, who decided to take their life into their hands and make their dreams come true, for the greater good! The story of real successful social entrepreneur, who built their success from scratch : thanks to their passion, their authenticity, and their vision!
In that frame, I had the pleasure to interview Nupur Tewari, founder of Heal Tokyo – on a mission to spread love, peace,positivity, equality ,education and make this world a better place by being there for those who need you!
1)Thank you for accepting to share your story! As an introduction, can you please tell us about yourself, your background, and what brought you to create Heal Tokyo?
I am a confident woman, a proud mother, a generous philanthropist, a charismatic teacher, a proud Indian and a serene believer and doer of yoga and peace.
I was born in a traditionally educated family where I got my real education of life, love, compassion, loyalty, patience, sincerity, kindness, sacrifice and selflessness. But unlike many of you I didn’t go to any reputed school. I did my education until 10th grade from a village and I had to walk 3 kms daily to go to my school, every day in sunny and rainy days too. During monsoon we had mud up-to my knee. Yes, we didn’t have electricity too. We got the electricity in our village when I was in 7th grade. I was blessed to have awesome parents but my mother was so busy to take care of the joint family that she hardly had any time for herself and my father trusted and loved me so much that he was more worried that I might get sick studying so much, every day. Literally I had no one to guide me.
I moved to the small town from 11th grade where I used to come during my vacations. I felt like an alien among those girls from reputed English medium schools.Those experiences made me realize about the challenges of those people who are neglected socially, financially and demographically. Those experiences inspired me to connect with them and understand their feelings and motives for life in an emotional and futuristic manner. I felt the pain of those people who were disadvantaged to be hailing from underprivileged, unserved and uneducated society. I personally had the experiences of being discriminated on the ground of my origination, language skills, brutal honesty, undiplomatic and my subtle nature. That made me strong and the so called hyped weaknesses became my reasons to improve and be strong. The experiences of being modest, hailing from rural background and introvert were heart breaking at that time for a girl of age 20 years. But, the same quality made me a better human and developed a motivation in me to connect with underprivileged.
Ironically, no one worked outside from my family. When I was in the last year of my university, I was offered to teach in another college in Calcutta University, but of course my goal was never to stay in a small town to be a lecturer and settle with small things. Those few months of teaching helped me to save some money to get out of that town and explore a world for myself. And then, my journey started to learn about my life and its connectivity with other people while working in MNCs’ and international organizations. I left my home with INR 500 which I earned and saved during my job as a teacher to explore my tyranny with life and build my world in which I knew no one. I had seen the days when I survived on two times snacks only in cities like Mumbai during my exploration with myself.
I found my new world and my adventure with the teaching in schools in Japan.I have experiences of teaching international students in more than 34 schools of Japan for more than 14 years. That made me self-sustainable in one of the most organized country in the world. I feel blessed to know Japan very closely being with only Japanese people there and learn their culture from the grassroots level.
My passion for working with people even took me to host TV shows in Japan in Japanese which made me the first Indian to do so ever in Japan and an anchor at various national and international events there. I have been part of various modelling assignments in Japanese commercials and Japanese movies. My passion still continues to inspire people through connection and communication.
My stance with Yoga and Charity
I was asked by many in several times that why I need to be so different and passionate about charity when I can lead a beautiful life without much effort in a Japan? Specially When I am a woman.
I have grown up seeing my parents voluntarily helping children by serving food, buying books and paying their school fees, even some of them used to stay at our place during the exam times as they didn’t have enough facilities and environment to study. And I was taught to do the same for others too.
Yoga had always been a part of my family since my childhood. I hailed from a family which strongly believed in Vedic principles and its features for health and peace. That inspired me to do different types of Yoga since my childhood and the journey still continues.
Since 2003, I have been spreading Indian culture through dance, yoga, food, festivals and cultural sessions. I was so engrossed in all the above activities that people in Fukuoka, Japan started referring me as an unofficial cultural ambassador of India to Japan. Until 2014, Yoga for me was my personal aid for peace and health. From 2014, I started conducting Yoga sessions across various community places in Japan voluntarily and inviting them to learn more about Indian culture over yoga sessions and Indian food delicacies.
2)Can you tell us the story of Heal Tokyo ? How did the idea came, and what it took to make it a reality?
2015, Japan faced a disastrous earthquake in Kumamoto (Kyushu), and the intrinsic pain took me over the wall and made me realize that I wanted to do something to contribute to the phase of revival of the citizens struck by the calamity. But, the situation was not favourable for me as I was raising my small daughter who was just 6 years of age and nobody was there to take care of her in my routine absence. That incorporated more pain in me to be unable to do anything for the affected people, and I came up with the idea of teaching Yoga and sending the donations collected from Yoga contributions. Then, there was nothing stopping me. I did yoga sessions in cultural summits, universities, schools and open community places and have been contributing for the cause of child education across India and the world through my contributions from Yoga sessions.
3)What is Heal Tokyo?
‘Heal Tokyo’ is our philanthropic project. It’s an unique charity project, which envisions to bring equality and peace in life of people reached through it.
4)What has been the impact or what Heal Tokyo do?
We enable the people from all age groups in Tokyo to take part in international yoga sessions in open parks, cafés and homes. The yoga and meditation help them to connect with inner soul, peace and serenity out of their busy and robotised life. The contributions from yoga sessions are used to finance the primary education of kids in urban slums of different cities of India.
It’s not only about asking for money, It’s more about bringing balance in the society. Unlike rural India, the urban lower income groups suffer from a problem of lack of policy reach and institutional delivery. Kids in urban slums are much more vulnerable to be in wrong paths if not given a proper channel of education and guidance.
It’s paying back to the country which I have been living in from the last 14 years and making my motherland India to be produce more global change maker.
Last but not the least we want to end the illiteracy from India and give underprivileged children a better life and a sustainable access to education.
Our main aim is bringing peace in people’s life, make them love themselves and spread love and positivity through yoga. In return with their donations, they get the chance to support the education of underprivileged children in India. As we believe in investing in our kids to invest in our future.Who knows a slum kid rise to be another change maker. Kindness multiplies when we add our efforts.Even a monthly contribution of a quantum equal to a meal of fast food can change the life of a kid by sending him/her to a school.
5)What is your ambition for Heal Tokyo in the coming 3 years?
In three years, Heal Tokyo aims of having healing centers along with slum schools in each city in India. 98% illiteracy would be removed and we will connect with rest of the world, spread love and positivity to make this world a beautiful place and spread the real meaning of Vasudeva Kutumbakam ( The world is a family).
6)According to you, and from what you see with Heal Tokyo what are the 3 main success factors to become a successful social entrepreneur and make a positive change?
-Emotions to feel and connect.
-Passion and determination to bring the change.
-And a desire to improve and to face all the difficulties and keep continuing even when you fail and situation demands you to give up.You’ll feel slowly this universe is bowing down in front of you. And remember failure is a necessary step in success.
7)Do you have a final message, for a potential successful social entrepreneur who still wonder if creating a social business is a viable career track?
Successful social entrepreneurs are passionate leaders of change. We all want to see the change in the world then why not be the one and spread the light. When you’ll see that you are the reason of that change you’ll spread your arms with a smile of full satisfaction on your face.
A desire to improve others lives of their peers and their community is a characteristic that encourages social entrepreneurs to continue their work. Giving back to the society is what we should all do today and here social entrepreneurs are many steps ahead than others.
Social entrepreneurship is what happens when the creative and the practical become one.
Spread love, positivity and education and let’s make this world a better place for our next generations.
Social entrepreneurship is what happens when the creative and the practical become one.
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