“Full many a gem of purest ray serene,
The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear:
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.”
Suchitra Gauri was a mother, educationist and a philanthropist. She believed that the world could be a better place if the people living in it could help each other. She worked on this mantra throughout her life. She was a Principal of DAV IGIMS and DAV Patliputra between 2002-2011. She started an after-school programme for the children from the local low-income communities, by raising the money for free schooling of these children from her friends and family.
She encouraged her son Gautam Gauri to start an organisation that would help children from marginalized communities, in accessing quality education and learn about qualities that makes us humane. This led to the establishment of Diksha Foundation, an organisation that works to provide holistic education to children from marginalized communities in 2010. In 2012, she quit her job to join Diksha as full time volunteer and an english teacher.
In a session conducted to train children about child sexual abuse, nearly all the children of Diksha’s Learning Center identified her as one among top three persons they would reach out to in case they were in danger. She was able to overcome age barriers and form deep friendships with the young staff and team members at Diksha.
In March 2019, Mrs Gauri was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer. She was rushed to Mumbai where she was admitted in the Tata Memorial Hospital for nearly four months. Even in the hospital with a critical illness that included brain metastases, she maintained her core kindness and capacity to love. She was a big fan of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and said “Dr. Kalam had love and compassion for all, and everyone loved him. When you give love, you get love, it is a simple process.”
Mrs. Gauri took her last breath on 3rd July, 2019. The Suchitra Cancer Care Initiative is based in the spirit of the values that she espoused in her life.
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