Fate can be strange sometimes, but it always has a lesson to teach and strength to give. Himaja had similar life experiences that made her a self-made woman. Her life is a perfect reflection of determination, compassion, and empathy.

Himaja’s Separation From Family

Himaja spent her childhood in an orphanage in Nalgonda, Telangana, while her parents lived in Hyderabad.

Whatever may be the reason for this, Himaja believes that it has made her stronger than she could ever be. However, she couldn’t accept the separation from family easily. She struggled for five years after her grandmother left her in the care of an orphanage at the age of three. She wanted to run away from that place but didn’t know-how. She was heartbroken as a child. She didn’t want to meet anyone who came to see her.

With time, she not only accepted her reality but enjoyed it. She says an average nuclear family would give her four or five people to interact with, a joint family would give her 15-20 people, but here she interacted with 60 people from various cultures. Despite its advantages, living in an orphanage is not easy. Sometimes food wouldn’t be available to all children. They had to eat whatever was given to them, there was a water shortage, but Himaja, and many others like her, endured all this and emerged victoriously.

It is unimaginable today that kids have to walk three kilometers every day, at 3 am, to have a bath even as kids Himaja and others like her had to do all the cooking and cleaning themselves.

A Life of Hardships

All these experiences helped her in becoming a self-made woman. Himaja realized at an early age that you couldn’t decide how you were born, but you could choose how to live.

She has seen days where she would skip lunch to avoid walking two kilometers from her school to the hostel on a sunny day. A tough life made her a tough woman. Her ideas are as unique as her personality. Even today, she uses her maternal grandmother’s last name. Himaja says whatever she is today because her grandmother decided to put her in the orphanage. The last name is her way of acknowledging the fact.

Himaja – A passionate Self-Made Woman

Himaja – Always There For Others

After her 10th grade, Himaja was back with her parents at Vanasthalipuram. She did her Bachelor’s from Koti Women’s College, Hyderabad. Her interest and passion for academics always got her a free seat. A self-made woman does not appear overnight.

Himaja started working in her college days. In her first year of graduation, this self-made woman worked in the Yuva Bharat program on ETV2. She went on to work at big channels like HMTV, TV9, and iNews. While she did a part-time job in ETV2, she got a brilliant idea. She didn’t want her service to stop with her. Knowing the struggles of growing up in an orphanage, she decided to fund the education of three girls. Today, they have completed their BSc in nursing and are working women, just like Himaja.

After she completed her Bachelor’s degree, Himaja continued to work in HMTV. By the way, she holds an MCJ and an MBA. She got acquainted with the media when her music teacher read the news during her college days. It would also help her in her service where she knows about family values, crimes, society, etc.

Himaja starts her day at 3:30 am and reaches the office by 6 am. She starts early in the morning so she can spare enough time for her organization. Her family is very supportive of her selfless service.

Himaja – A Ray of Hope

Talking about her days in TV9, Himaja says TV9 motivated her to start her Hope for Life organization. It first started with food distribution and later looked after people’s health and education requirements. Hope for life takes care of various needs of individuals and orphanages. The organization has also contributed towards women’s empowerment. After thorough verification, Hope for life sends its volunteers to take care of people who approach them.

Himaja has done it all through her organization Hope for life, whether it supplies for orphanages, treatment for cancer patients, blood facilitation for thalassemia patients, or education or skill development for women. To date, the organization has distributed 30-50 units of blood in a day to thalassemia patients. Four thousand children receive educational support from Himaja’s Hope for life.

The organization has facilitated liver transplants for many patients and has helped more than 89 Cancer patients with their treatment. Himaja narrated an emotionally shocking incident that inspired her to take her Cancer services a little further. She had spent six lakh and successfully cured a 9-year-old girl of Cancer. The child regained health and went to school. Then, the most unfortunate thing happened.

The little girl committed suicide after her friends made fun of her for not having hair. It moved her so much that she decided to donate wigs to girls or women who suffer from or have survived Cancer. These services are only for those who can’t afford a wig, and that too is only for the girls as she feels that girls are mocked more than boys when they don’t have hair.

Himaja – Hope for Life Foundation

Hope for life also tried to break the taboo around AIDS. Volunteers from Hope for life will not only go to organizations where these people stay, but they spend time with them and make them feel as normal as possible. Himaja says that these people need our time and unconstitutional love more than giving food or other commodities.

Hope for life is training tribal women in Bhadradri to be self-sufficient. The organization has sent its volunteers to train women in tailoring since February this year.

She never claimed to transform someone’s life overnight. What Himaja aims for is to make an individual’s current situation better than it is. Health and education are the primary focus of this organization.

Greater Reach of Hope

Hope for life does not take any financial support from the government. All the funding comes from donations. Every donor is informed of how every rupee is spent. They all come majorly from social media such as Facebook and WhatsApp. Himaja says her transparency is the strength of the organization. Hope for life receives support from approximately 35000 people connected with the organization either directly or indirectly.

Himaja – distributing foods

Himaja – With Kids

Even after doing so much for many people, Himaja never asked anyone to return any favor in cash or kind, neither for herself nor her organization. The organization has adopted eight villages and distributes sanitary napkins to the women there.

Himaja points out that their services are not for a day or a month. Once she takes up something, Himaja continues to be there whenever there is a need. Himaja’s Hope for life sends help in various forms to orphanages and other places of need in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra.

During the pandemic, Himaja showed what all a self-made woman could achieve. She helped migrants return home through her organization, provided many with jobs, and stabilized many families. She recalls these incidents as priceless memories as return gifts for all the time she spent improving people’s lives. It is the reason why she continues to provide her services tirelessly, even when her health doesn’t support her.

One of her legs develops a swelling on prolonged standing. But this does not stop her from helping people. Recently, Hope for life started providing technical and non-technical training virtually to all those struggling to find a job in the pandemic. Himaja has joined hands with the ICICI Bank. The Bank sends a list of openings, and these trainees are recruited there depending on the requirement.

Himaja’s life compels the world to believe this is how a self-made woman is.

Himaja – Passionate for food for Hungry

Himaja – Mentoring Nex Gen

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