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Meet Jo Chopra, CNN IBN Real Hero and the woman behind the Latika Roy Foundation.
Jo Chopra of the Latika Roy Foundation
Reader’s Corner looks at the contemporary urban woman in India, through the lens of a Women’s Web reader in each interview.
Jo Chopra of the Latika Roy Foundation was feted earlier this year as one of CNN IBN’s Real Heroes for her remarkable work towards the education of children with special needs. She was also the winner of our recently concluded I Stood Up Blogathon. Check out Jo’s blog for some heart-warming reads or listen to her TED talk.
Hi Jo! Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a writer by profession; a former criminal (peace movement activist jailed on a dozen occasions for political demonstrations in the US); a mother of three; an American married to an Indian. I’m fluent in Hindi, I’m the founder and director of a voluntary organization for people with disability, I trained as a lay midwife and I love public speaking, opera, photography, reading, cooking and wine.
My passion – and the reason I was born – is to make disability just another interesting aspect of a full and productive life. My youngest daughter’s disability catapulted me into a world I had never known about and I am so much richer for it.
Do you have any life goals for yourself or anything that you think your life must include?
I’d like to write another book, learn how to juggle, become a better photographer and develop really good management skills.
I want to stay as close to my family as I am right now (I have the most wonderful family!).
How far along would you say you are in achieving these? What would you love to have/achieve that you don’t yet have?
Little by little, I’m getting there! I don’t want anything I don’t already have.
Is your life today as you imagined it would be 5 years ago? If no, how is it different? Where do you want to be 5 years from now?
Impulsiveness is one of my trademarks so planning the future and imagining how it will be has never been a strength nor an interest. I tend to go with the flow – always happy, often surprised.
Do you believe that being a woman has made a difference to your choices and your life?
Being a woman isn’t something I think about separately from being myself. I am where I am because of who I am. Part of that identity is being a woman.
Tell us one thing that you like about Women’s Web and one thing you think we could do better!
I love the range and the variety! You provide glimpses of so many wonderful ideas and endeavours and somehow you make them all sparkle. One thing you could do better? Do more of the same. But for that, you might have to give up sleeping. So don’t!
Thanks a lot Jo!
*Photo credit: Jo Chopra.
Previous Reader’s Corner Interviews:
Prathama Raghavan
Chandrima Pal
Rinzu Rajan
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Menopause is a reality in women's lives, so Indian workplaces need to gear up and address women's menopausal needs.
Picture this: A seasoned executive at the peak of her career suddenly grapples with hot flashes and sleep disturbances during important meetings. She also battles mood swings and cognitive changes, affecting her productivity and confidence. Eventually, she resigns from her job.
Fiction? Not really. The scenario above is a reality many women face as they navigate menopause while meeting their work responsibilities.
Menopause is the time when a woman stops menstruating. This natural condition marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years. The transition brings unique physical, emotional, and psychological changes for women.
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