#PeopleOfDonatekart: Meet Vijaya Jangala
“I grew up in Vijayawada surrounded by loving family and friends. Everyone adored me, I was the apple of my grandmother’s eyes. It never happened that I wanted something and it was not given to me. There was nothing more that I could ask for.
But I did.
I asked to be admitted to a school that I had chosen for myself. I asked my family to accept my choice of subjects for my 12th. I asked them to excuse me when a puja was going on because I just couldn’t sit in one place for that long!
There were fights and disagreements and more often than not there was a comparison with my elder sister — ‘Learn something from her, can you?’ — was a constant thing.
I can tell you now that the younger Vijaya hated the comparison. She saw no reason in it. It would take many more years and a pandemic for her to realise that difference of opinion doesn’t necessarily have to be hostile. That discussions and disagreements were essential to growing up.
I have always been ambitious and hence didn’t think twice about going to Paris when I got the chance to study International Business. I cooked for myself, attended class, finished assignments — did it all. Not that I ever doubted myself but then my family started taking me seriously. They probably hadn’t thought their little troublemaker would achieve such feats.
I had to come back from Paris during the first wave of the pandemic and that brought about so much change in my life. Getting the COVID scare, being quarantined for over a month — I realised one thing — our life is full of uncertainties and we should make the best use of our time while we can.
Till now, I have always been a bubbly, extroverted person who loved to entertain people and be the centre of attention; be it with my mimicry or something else. Now, I have learnt to slow down — listen to others, try to understand their perspective.
While my sister and I have always been very close, it is only now that I can fully understand the significance of what she does and how she does it. I am still the brat who makes fun of her because I remember details better or who refuses to listen to everything my family says but I have also grown up.”
- Vijaya Jangala, Partnerships Associate
