I will briefly share how I was introduced to the idea of sewa and how it has impacted my life. I was at the University of Washington pursuing my graduate studies. Interestingly, I was not familiar with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh at the time, but I learned about it and its activities through some people I met at the university.

One day, a person named Shyam Parande, who was a Sewa International Coordinator from India, visited my apartment. He was there to talk about Sewa's relief activities in India following the tsunami. During his presentation, he mentioned the possibility of graduate students becoming Sewa interns. This idea remained with me, and after completing my master's degree, I decided to take a two-month break to become a Sewa Vistarak (full-time volunteer). Instead of choosing to go to India or stay in the US, I expressed my interest in going to a completely different country. 

Shyam Parande ji suggested Suriname, a country I had never heard of before. I deferred my job offer from Amazon and embarked on this volunteer journey to Suriname, a Dutch-speaking country in South America with a significant Indian diaspora.

In Suriname, I engaged in various activities, including training university professors and students in computer science. It was a fascinating experience, being in a new country with a different cultural and historical background. The youth-driven organization there was unlike anything I had seen in the US.

The confidence I gained from this experience was immense. It was the first time I had done full-time voluntary work, and it gave me the confidence to later start the Yuva for Sewa program and a magazine called Tattva, written by and for youth. This experience also led me to take on more responsibilities in the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) and Sewa International in Seattle.

The Sewa internship experience was an inflection point in my life, giving me the confidence to take bigger steps. The support I received from the Sewa team was crucial, and I'm grateful for the opportunity they provided me. It was a transformative experience that has shaped my path ever since. 

The Yuva for Sewa program originated from my experiences in Suriname. It was a challenging program because it involved cross-cultural boundaries, whether from the US to India, the UK to India, or other combinations. Executing such programs is challenging because while we plan for sewa on the ground, we don't always anticipate all the factors that impact our work.

My experience and how Sewa structured the program have inspired many other Sewa interns over the years, and they continue to join the program. Looking at the Sewa internship program has been a catalyst for many impactful initiatives.

Moreover, I believe, we should view this program as part of a larger context, especially what we are doing at Rishiḥood University today. Rishihood is an Indian private university located in Sonipat, Haryana. The seeds of our current efforts were sown in Suriname. I often share these fascinating stories with students here, and they are intrigued by how people from Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were so enterprising, eventually becoming the wealthiest population in a new country and assuming leadership positions. This is in stark contrast to the perceptions of Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar today. I remind students from these regions of their ancestors' entrepreneurial spirit, who, despite starting as indentured laborers, went on to achieve remarkable success and even rule countries. These stories continue to resonate today, showcasing the incredible achievements of the Indian diaspora.

I stayed at Ashvin Adhin's place in Suriname. He later pursued a career in education and politics, eventually serving as the Vice President of Suriname from 2015 to 2020, approximately ten years later. Yes, I believe we stitched and created a great bond. 

When I came to Chicago in 2018, we met and had a good time discussing how we started by playing football in the fields of Suriname. I didn't anticipate that he would become Vice President of Suriname, but I learned a lot there. I also brought back to the HSS in the US the way Ashwin used to run shakhas, where about ninety percent of the time was spent playing football and only ten on prayer. It was fascinating how he would gather kids by playing football and build the whole system there. So, there was a lot of learning about how to effectively manage organizations and engage with youth.

-Shobhit Mathur

(Co-Founder, Vice Chancellor, Rishihood University, Haryana)