“Happiness is the condition of the soul. This Joyous state comes as a result of righteous living.”

By Benjamin De. Hoyos

 

The reason I chose these lines is because today we are going to meet one such person whose thoughtfulness, concern and initiative is making a lot of difference in the lives of many elderly immigrants.

We come to this country as immigrants because of different reasons – studies, careers etc. Our parents visit us occasionally. But after a certain point we want to be with them and they come here and start living with their son-daughter. Initially, everything is fine but with time, parents start to feel bored, isolated because of less socializing than what they used to do back home, sometimes due to language barriers or the inability to drive. So, what can they do? Just sit at home? How about if there is one such place where they can go and meet people of their age, spend some quality time with them and also get engaged in something they like? Sounds great. Right? Today, at ‘Mom with her story’ we are going to meet one such person who has not just visualized this problem but has taken an initiative to do something in that direction. Meet Shubhada Saxena, President of SAIVA (South Asians’ International Volunteer Association) and the recipient of the ‘2014 YWCA Women of The Year Award’.

 

Shubhada has a honors degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology & Science in Pilani, India. She grew from a Programmer to Program Manager at small and large companies including Tata Consultancy, CBSI Consulting, United Healthcare, Smith Kline Beecham and IBM. After working in the IT sector for more than 20 years, she decided to change her career path. And that’s how SAIVA (South Asians’ International Volunteer Association) started 6 years ago. Currently, she is pursuing Master Degree in Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin to manage non-profits rather than the more traditional path for IT immigrants of an MBA to manage in the for non-profit world.

Mothers Gurukul: Can you tell us more about your work. How it has started?

Shubhada: It takes me 6 years back when I think about the starting point of SAIVA. When I came to the cross-roads in my career path and stepped out of the corporate world, I wanted to do something that gave me an inner satisfaction of doing something meaningful and benefit other’s lives.

Lot of Indian Americans now settled into this country. They add to the economic growth and development. But something has to be done in terms of civic growth as well. The purpose behind SAIVA is to empower elderly immigrants to engage as effective citizens and lead meaningful lives by giving back to the new community they live in. We are trying our best to help build infrastructure where they can bring their energy and motivation to make a difference. In the beginning the organization was solely supported by our family foundation, the Saxena Foundation, to help provide transportation to seniors to enable them to volunteer. We started with a small team but today we have community support as well.

MG: That’s awesome. Shubhada, when you thought of changing your career why not something in your field? What had inspired you to get into this field?

Shubhada: You know, actually I did give it a try. But I didn’t enjoy it. Most people who have the same educational background, they go for an MBA. But, I wanted to do something different. The biggest inspiration to start SAIVA was my Mother-In-Law who was a Doctor by profession. When she came to the USA, she had to leave behind all what she was doing in her country of origin. In India, she was doing things independently and was very much socially connected; but here she was dependent on us. I used to take her around. But that dependency seemed to impact her lot. She experienced depression and later suffered from Dimentia. That was like a deciding point for me. I saw her sufferings first hand. I started thinking more in the direction of what can be done for many such elders who come to this country like my mother-in-law. They need social connectivity, they need like-minded people to talk to, activities that motivate them-keep them empowered. They have so much to give to their next generations but they don’t have a medium to express it. It all has started from there– looking for a neutral venue for all late stage immigrants, managing a team, using latest technology to help, deciding on the activities, reaching out to others who would be interested in taking this forward etc.

MG: That’s truly very inspiring. Can you walk us through the events & programs SAIVA is involved in?

Shubhada: Sure, we do lot of volunteer services at SAIVA. We make Sandwiches for the Salvation Army, and we cut vegetables for busy families; most of the seniors have a connection with food as they took care of their families and bring their cultural skills of caring through food with them. We provide home cooked meals to UT students during their exams; we organize transport to different locations with volunteer opportunities. The most popular activity is the Therapy Dolls made for Dell Children’s Hospital for kids with cancer. This idea was suggested by one of our SAIVA ‘aunties’. There are many other activities to keep them busy such as gardening, assembling school supply kits and more.

MG: Wonderful!! How do you come up with your events? Do you plan it on your own or you take inputs from SAIVA members?

Shubhada: Initially, I used to design the layout seeing the need that will survive in long run. I saw my mother-in-law would love to help others. So, we started doing the volunteer activities that I have just mentioned. Other than that our members have to share any specific skill that they have learnt such as Card making or Jewelry making and we add that as well to our volunteer activities list. So, I would say it’s a combination of both. Initially, I was designing it on my own but now they are coming up with different ideas.

MG: That’s nice.

Shubhada, in one of the SAIVA features, you said that “Service Is the True Key to Happiness”. Would it be correct to say that the fulfillment you get from helping others is why a career in social work appealed you in the first place?

Shubhada: Oh yes, absolutely. SAIVA (or SEVA ) means Service in Hindi. I get tremendous personal satisfaction doing this work (doing SEVA ‘service’ through SAIVA) which is hard to explain in words. Seeing them happy and empowered is a totally different feeling. Giving them a meaningful way to express themselves, they feel that their life is worth living. When they come to this country, initially it’s okay but, slowly they may get surrounded with boredom or a feeling of isolation. Possible reasons may be they don’t know anyone here, or they having spent their whole life in India, and now starting everything new here is not that easy. This is the time when they need someone to talk to them – listen to them. I find myself blessed and fortunate if I am able to provide them a platform through SAIVA where they can engage themselves in something they like and have meaningful conversation. I really feel that “Service Is the True Key to Happiness” and I get that happiness through this work and hope everyone else have that opportunity.

MG: Wonderful!

I have seen the Youtube video “Empowering Immigrant Seniors”. It was very touching and I could see those words were coming from bottom of their heart. How did you convince them for the shoot? Tell us about that experience.

Shubhada: They just loved it. And I have to say, they all did a great job. They were super excited to be on TV. Those who missed it were regretful and hope we can make the opportunity again. That video proved to be helpful in many ways. I feel they they got a listening ear, recognition for their skills, and a showcase of what is possible for a group to do. It has started a discussion on psycho-social needs of immigrant elders. Altogether, it was a wonderful experience.

MG: That’s sweet.

Social work in general and working with and for the seniors in particular is demanding field. We would like to know how did you form a team who shares the same purpose and who is driving towards the same goal as yours?

Shubhada: I would say that enthusiasm is the most important element which holds the entire team together. It’s hard to find like-minded people especially when you are working in something like this. I am fortunate to have our own SAIVA volunteers who showed amazing leadership skills and interest. Today, the seniors serve as an integral part of our leadership team. They volunteer for the tasks they can handle. Each neighborhood had a representative working as a recruiter and manages attendees from specific areas. As later, we felt the need to grow more organized and streamline operational methods, SAIVA is a registered Nonprofit Corporation in the State of Texas and seniors serve on the Board of Directors. We will continue to expand and build a team who see the bigger picture. So far I am very lucky and happy with what we are doing and to get all the blessings and love from all the elders’. It’s their love and affection that keeps us going.

MG: That’s wonderful. I am sure all of them must be feeling special being a part of the organization.

Shudhada, you have received ‘2014 YWCA Women of The Year Award’. I read the article in Ujima Magazine. You have been recognized as a ‘Trailblazer’ for your work with seniors in Austin and also as an ‘Eye-opener’. How does all this feels? Did you see it coming your way?

Shubhada: Not at all. It is such a big honor for me. I did not expect this to happen. But, yes, such recognition has given me a platform from where I will be heard as a recognized community leader. That will definitely make a difference. My work is not done yet; but it is a proven ground from where the South Asian community can participate collectively for community benefit. It has laid a strong foundation for me and the organization. For that I am really very happy.

MG: That’s absolutely true.

Lastly, now when you have been in this field from almost 6 years, what changes do you think the organization involved in social work can benefit from?

Shubhada: There is a tremendous scope for that. I feel the need to have an incubator for nonprofit groups, social service organizations. I am exploring the landscape of funding for social services. The current model includes a mix of community fundraising, public charities or foundations, corporate giving and governmental funding. This maze is difficult to navigate and difficult to propagate. New models from Stanford include Social Investment Bonds or Patience Investing which allow outcomes-based service building similar to the venture funding models in business. I would like to explore the gaps in social services and help create funding streams for them. One such area I see is the gap in education for the 50%+ Hispanic children in the Central Texas area. If we invest in their education today through social services, we will have strong economic growth when they become adults 15-20 years from now. If not, there may be a severe economic impact. I believe that social, cultural & economic policy should be integrated and hope to work towards this goal. Social Work is the one area which allows for justice and progress in an integrated manner and I look forward to our community’s growing participation in this field.
One example is the recent Indian-American Civic Day event at the Texas State Capitol that I organized with a coalition team under the sponsorship of Texas Senator Kirk Watson. Along with the cultural awareness program inside the Capitol building, we gave a briefing to legislators and staffers on economic impact as well as legislative process education to Indian-Americans so they can participate in setting policy as they grow in numbers in Texas. Our integration into mainstream society of Texas comes with responsibilities in the democratic system. Indian-Americans are wonderfully poised to lead as immigrants from the world’s largest democracy. Our values of education and respect for the elderly can be propagated in the right manner where we now live.

MG: I am sure, with your sincere efforts and determination you will achieve many more milestones. Now, when kids think of bringing their parents here, they will have a mental satisfaction and confidence that their parents will not feel alone and they will enjoy the way they do in India. We wish you all the success for all your future endeavors.

Shubhada Saxena: Thanks a lot.

MG: That was Shubhada Saxena, President of SAIVA (South Asians’ International Volunteer Association) and the recipient of the ‘2014 YWCA Women of The Year Award’ in Austin,Texas.

 

For more information about SAIVA visit http://www.saiva.org.

Short Youtube video Empowering Immigrant Seniors.