Sushmita recalls her early days with Rubaroo, describing her experience as short but impactful. \u201cIt was a very good learning experience,\u201d<\/em> she says, reflecting on how the activities boosted her self-confidence and encouraged her to voice her thoughts. She appreciated the way Rubaroo\u2019s programmes allowed participants to explore their potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The activities were diverse, from small events to group interactions, aimed at pushing personal limits and enhancing self-esteem. \u201cThe time we got, it was like a very nice self-exploration with Rubaroo,\u201d <\/em>she mentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sushmita highlights one of the most significant experiences of Agaaz-e-Baatcheet – the interfaith events. These programmes involved visits to places of worship from different religions, including temples, mosques, churches, and Gurudwaras. She reflects, \u201cIt was interfaith. We visited religious places from different religions.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This exposure was eye-opening for the participants and had a broader impact on their college community. She explains, \u201cIt was eye-opening for the people who are lecturers… when we went to all kinds of different religious places… We can be open to all kinds of religions, and it’s equally important to them as for us.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sushmita shares how the visits helped her peers become more open-minded. Some participants, who initially felt hesitant to explore other places of worship, eventually became more receptive. \u201cThey were very happy and blessed to see the spirituality… it’s not limited to only our thing,\u201d <\/em>she says, highlighting the shift in their perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When asked about the personal impact of these interfaith experiences, Sushmita emphasizes a deeper understanding of \u201cunity in diversity.\u201d<\/em> Though the phrase is often seen in books, she believes her Rubaroo experience brought it to life. \u201cWe have always read it in books, but that was an event which made us realize it personally, in a practical way,\u201d<\/em> she explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She proudly reflects on how this realization helped her embrace a more inclusive and open-minded outlook, a lesson she still carries with her today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sushmita believes that Rubaroo\u2019s impact extends far beyond its participants. The organization helped cultivate a wider understanding of inclusivity and interfaith dialogue by involving college peers in interfaith visits and other activities. \u201cIt had a good impact on them,\u201d <\/em>she notes, explaining how the participants’ new openness led to meaningful interactions with people of different backgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite initial hesitation from her peers, the events sparked an eagerness to connect with others and learn about diverse religious practices. \u201cThey were open and confident to talk to other people,\u201d<\/em> she adds, underscoring how Rubaroo\u2019s efforts led to a lasting shift in community behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most significant outcomes of Sushmita\u2019s involvement with Rubaroo was the development of her confidence. \u201cWhat I am today is all because of my confidence,\u201d <\/em>she says. This newfound self-assurance played a key role in her professional journey, even during challenging times when she considered giving up. The lessons she learned through Rubaroo, especially the importance of perseverance and believing in herself, have been integral to her growth. \u201cIt brought me back to knowing we can’t give up. We should be confident enough in what we are doing,\u201d<\/em> she reflects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sushmita\u2019s advice for anyone joining Rubaroo as a volunteer or participant is simple yet powerful: \u201cBe ready for the adventure you’re going to experience with all the excitement.\u201d<\/em> She encourages newcomers to embrace the journey, assuring them that the experience will leave them feeling more confident and empowered. \u201cThey are going to love the experience, and they are going to come out like very young, confident people.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking back, Sushmita is grateful for the lasting friendships and connections she made through Rubaroo. \u201cI\u2019m very good friends with them till now, till date,\u201d <\/em>she shares. Even though it has been several years, the bonds formed during her time with the organization remain strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sushmita has also been involved in other organizations like Dobaara and her college\u2019s NSS programme. However, she admits that while those experiences were good, Rubaroo stood out in terms of its impact. \u201cRubaroo brought that confidence, brought us that self-boosting,\u201d <\/em>she concludes, expressing her deep appreciation for the transformative journey she experienced with the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sushmita shared personal insights into how Rubaroo\u2019s programmes helped her build confidence and broadened her understanding of interfaith connections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":338,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[19,16,10,13,22,11,17,18],"class_list":["post-337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-impact-stories","tag-confidence","tag-empowerment","tag-impact-stories","tag-interfaith","tag-opportunity","tag-rubaroo","tag-social-change","tag-young-people"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Black-and-White-Blog-Banner-45.png?fit=2240%2C1260&ssl=1",2240,1260,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Black-and-White-Blog-Banner-45.png?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Black-and-White-Blog-Banner-45.png?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Black-and-White-Blog-Banner-45.png?fit=768%2C432&ssl=1",768,432,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Black-and-White-Blog-Banner-45.png?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1",1024,576,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Black-and-White-Blog-Banner-45.png?fit=1536%2C864&ssl=1",1536,864,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Black-and-White-Blog-Banner-45.png?fit=2048%2C1152&ssl=1",2048,1152,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"Faiz Jiwani","author_link":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/author\/faiz-jiwani\/"},"category_info":"Impact Stories<\/a>","tag_info":"Impact Stories","comment_count":"0","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Black-and-White-Blog-Banner-45.png?fit=2240%2C1260&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=337"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":447,"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337\/revisions\/447"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The Power of Interfaith Connections<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
A Silver Lining<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Ground Impact of Rubaroo\u2019s Work<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Confidence and Professional Growth<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Advice for New Participants<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Beyond Rubaroo: Other Volunteer Experiences<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"CTA\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.rubaroo.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Screenshot-353.png?resize=1024%2C360\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"