Shailendra Tiwari is the general secretary of Seva Mandir, Udaipur. He urges us to think over how we can learn from each other’s experiences, how we can make the city that we live in a better place and above all how we can all live harmoniously to make the world a better place for each one of us.

Shailendra Tiwari hails from Udaipur, Rajasthan. He completed his schooling and bachelor’s in Udaipur itself. Later he went to Anand, Gujarat and earned a Master’s in Animal Science. Shailendra began his professional career post his master’s with National Dairy Development as a technical officer in the field of biotechnology. He worked there for two and a half years. Whilst in the job he got the realisation that India needs something really basic and this coupled with some personal problems led to him quitting the job. Later he came back to Udaipur and was looking for opportunities here. He then got to know about the NGO Seva Mandir and he got really fascinated by the kind of work Seva Mandir was doing. He joined Seva Mandir in 1993 as the coordinator for Forestry and Agriculture. Currently he is working as the general secretary of Seva Mandir.

Shailendra has had his own share of struggles in life. He says that he was born in a middle-class family. Owing to that he often faced financial and economic challenges. When he went to Gujarat for his Master’s he also had to rely on scholarship. Later when he decided to join the social sector he had to face the apprehensions of his family and near ones.

Talking about his inspirations Shailendra says that he draws inspiration from Mr. Mohan Singh Mehta, founder of Seva Mandir, Dr. Verghese Kurien-ex-chairman of NDDB, and Mother Teresa.

Shaliendra is of the opinion that neither education nor experience matters in life. It’s the passion to work that matters. He says that even if you have less education or less experience still you can be a driver of change if you’re passionate about your work. However he stresses the importance of having formal education as it opens up many doors.

To anyone who wants to join the social sector, Shailendra advises that if you have made up your mind to work in the social sector then you should be ready to face the pros and cons associated with this sector. Whether it’s the private sector or the social sector, the same set of challenges is there though their magnitudes and degrees may vary.

Shailendra does not think that he is a born leader. He thinks that he is still a learner. He may be heading a particular department but when his work involves cross-departmental interactions he works under those who lead those departments. He believes that sometimes you have to be a leader and sometimes you have to make others leaders. He has learnt leadership from the people he has met so far and from his own experiences.

If he could time travel back in the past he would want to be a good human doing social service from the beginning. Shailendra mentions that though we are progressing in every sphere of our lives but along the way we are leaving behind humanity. He says that earlier people were united and would care for one another but now we are absorbed in ourselves only, which is worrisome.

Recounting his childhood memories, Shailendra reminisces playing with his friends and fighting with them and mostly being out of home and getting scolded by parents upon coming back home.

“You may leave nature but nature will never leave you!”

Shailendra is an avid bird watcher. He likes to be with nature and explore its ecosystem. Shailendra advises that to be a bird watcher or nature lover you don’t need to go out to forests. You can simply begin by observing the birds and nature around you. You can also refer to books to supplement your knowledge of birds and nature.