By Vikram Raithatha, Principal – Systems Engineering, Fidelity Investments India

As an employee of Fidelity, I am really grateful for the many opportunities the company gives us to give back to society through our CSR program, Fidelity Cares. I have been an active volunteer in various Fidelity Cares programs from 2018 and love participating in these activities and being able to benefit people from less-privileged backgrounds. I especially like teaching pre-high school students (Grade 7) in villages various subjects and coaching youth in their early twenties on various topics, from how to write a resume, to preparing for a job interview, and even working on tools such as Microsoft Excel.

In fact, I discovered my love for teaching at Fidelity, by contributing as a learning catalyst and conducting a variety of training programs for our employees. This gave me a lot of confidence and experience in teaching and coaching.

Fidelity Cares programs on the other hand have provided me opportunities to teach or coach youngsters from different parts of India over the last five years. I have also visited government schools to conduct personal counselling sessions for students as a Fidelity Cares volunteer.

Through all these activities, I discovered that “everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t”. Learning, therefore, for me has been a two-way street, as I have been able to learn how to be a better teacher through interacting with students across age groups. In fact, several pre-high school students have taught me valuable lessons in ‘how to live in the present’.

As part of my teaching stints, I have also used the opportunity to teach students life values. After all, education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.

I enjoy the many ‘aha’ moments when students finally understand what I have been teaching them. I can see it in their faces, and it can be such a fulfilling experience, as I am finally able to see that I have been able to help them experience a new way of thinking.

It was a delight, therefore, when I was recently recognized by one of Fidelity Investments India’s not-for-profit partners for conducting 26 classroom sessions for pre-high school students in villages and two coaching sessions for youth from less-privileged backgrounds in 2021-22. I was pleased to see my pre- students performing well in school, and several youth whom I have coached have also given me very positive feedback on my sessions. The feedback I have received and the feeling that I have been able to do my bit to effect positive change in others’ lives, especially those who are not as privileged as we are, have brought me long-lasting happiness. It has inspired me to continue to participate actively in Fidelity Cares programs and make a positive impact in the lives of others.

Read more about our Fidelity Cares program here: https://india.fidelity.com/life-at-fidelity/