Sneha fights cancer; bags Masters' seat in London
There are many people with amazing heart and kindness who come to help when you need them. It was so good and reassuring to know this and to have these people around
image for illustrative purpose
Mumbai: MEET Sneha Kaushal, an NGO activist from Bhilai, who has been detected with breast cancer. Still, it didn't stop her securing a seat at the prestigious University College of London in the UK to pursue MSc in Global Health and Development on a Chevening Scholarship.
It is said that some things are etched in our minds which never fade, they seem to be always fresh and constantly come in your dreams and thoughts. One such experience for Sneha, a resident of Bhilai, was during her village stay after her post-graduation. She was a young girl back then who has gone to stay in a village for the first time in her entire childhood and youth.
"Life seemed going pretty fine as long as snakes didn't come near me and I got two meals a day. It all changed when my landlord fell due to a stroke and I took him to district hospital in an Ambulance.
It was then I realised how fragile lives are in our country and all the people especially people in rural areas suffer a lot," Sneha recalls in an exclusive chat with Bizz Buzz. Since then, she has been keen on public health as a subject and how she can increase the opportunities for rural populace to get a better and a decent health care scenario.
Apropos Sneha, "I am a rural development professional and I was lucky to get opportunity to work with numerous NGOs at grassroots level and with Ministries at Central level.
My experience in villages taught me that – nothing is impossible. Seeing women of Self Help Groups take up initiatives to build better lives for coming generations made me believe in my own self. And work at central level introduced her to the wide world of policy formulation."
Sneha goes on, "I want to say that working in development sector is both rewarding as well as it takes a huge toll on the personal and professional life. You get disillusioned by seeing the poverty and that causes lot of disturbances within.
It's only after years of efforts can we bring some amount of permanent change in someone's lives." Last two years were full of turmoil for Sneha like others due to Covid, lockdown and uncertainty. But things became really worse when she was detected with breast cancer, it was unbelievable and tears didn't stop.
Cancer is such a word that it makes you lose sense of time. "A lot of days went in contemplating – Why me? But I guess there is no answer to that. Anyway with support of my family and a few good friends/mentors (and of course insurance companies and my present employer PRADAN) I was able to undergo treatment and world seems to be little better place to live in.
A lot can be written about this phase of treatment but I think only key is to have patience and hope. Hope of a brighter future helps not only you but also people around you who take care of you day and night.
Another realisation I had amongst many was that –there are many people with amazing heart and kindness who come to help when you need them. It was so good and reassuring to know this and to have these people around," she says.
With the clouds comes silver lining, and this year I was able to secure a place successfully in Chevening Scholarship in which I have been trying since last 3 years. It is a competitive scholarship with millions of candidates applying across the world.
Each year roughly 40 professionals and students get chance to go to UK and pursue Masters. I am going to London to study Public Health which has been my passion since the beginning with a hope of better and brighter future.
Looking back, Sneha says, "I feel life goes around a full circle and if you are persistent in your efforts you do reach your goal.
It may sound cliché but from my own experience I can say that it is indeed true. The situations became difficult but my past experiences and efforts paid off at a time when I needed it the most."
