Manzil's Got Talent

Uma: The Master of all Trades

Uma

Uma joined Manzil as a part of the English Program in 2004, post completing her 12^th class at a government school.
When she first became a part of our family, her English was quite average and she wanted to learn more, so as to be able to interact with others and get a good job. Little did we know that her qualities of always being eager to learn more and intention to interact with others are traits that would mark her journey with us and beyond. 

The turning point in her journey came when her English class organized their first student-led outstation tour to Agra. This trip encouraged students to lead similar initiatives in the future by forming a dedicated team for the same in 2009. From there on, Uma began volunteering at various Manzil events. She liked working with the students & teachers of Manzil to help them organize birthday parties, cultural events, picnics etc. She thoroughly enjoyed these experiences and through them was able to flesh out her own unique identity.

While helping at Manzil, she also had to work full time at a call centre for financial independence. However, this never impacted the rigour with which she headed the initiative team in 2009.

She often highlights how her journey in the initiative team helped her gain a lot of experience, confidence, communication, management & leadership skills. She believes in social change, so she participates in various youth lead events of Manzil. And she also cites her time at Manzil as a key factor in developing her love for helping people, something she does on a regular basis.

Uma also credits Manzil with inspiring in her, the love for travelling and Kathak, as well as helping her develop skills as an organizer and team manager. All her current jobs as Admin & HR Head & Business Support at Design Matrix; Tour Guide at Delhi Magic Tours & Travel; Admin & Business Support at VR99 Kabila Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.; are because of Manzil. For her, Manzil has connected her to all her destinations for which she will always be grateful to the organization.

When talking about Uma, one particular incident comes to mind. Uma could not apply for a couple of great opportunities in Manzil, because her family did not allow her to participate, not that they were orthodox but that they feared that a girl will be unable to manage various critical scenarios. But Uma successfully broke this perception of her family when she travelled to the USA through Manzil in 2012 for an international visitor leadership program sponsored by American High Commission, Delhi. Her family then accepted the fact that women too have the potential for freedom, expression & equality and allowed her to explore various things in her life.

In her whole family, she is the only one who has not only flew across the country but also convinced her family to marry someone from another caste, something which is frowned upon in the society.

Uma loves to take up opportunities and learn from them. In the past, she has taken charge of Manzil’s got talent and Manzil Utsav the biggest events in Manzil. Due to this, she has learned to organize, plan, budget, coordinate, and manage events. Now, she facilitates other team members and students to learn and explore.

Recently, in June of the year 2019, she took the initiative to plan a learning trip to Bir. She alongside Anil Kumar (Computer coordinator & facility in charge at Manzil), took 20 students for the same. Anil also organized a one day trip to Jaipur on 3rd January 2020, wherein students were asked to bring their breakfast & lunch. Uma extended her help by raising funds for students to enjoy the lunch at the hotel. We are grateful for Uma's contributions to Manzil.

One of her colleagues Pushpa who is also currently the Team Lead at Manzil when asked to describe her dear friend, remarked that, “Uma has the capacity to learn fast and do and then implement. She loves taking work. She is a very supportive person. Her work efficiency is brilliant. She is the role model for all of us.  Her first Mantra is to take care of herself mainly in health and then she is capable to manage everything home, baby, husband Manzil, and her company Design Matrix and her relative as well.  She always comes with creative ideas. She knows her role and knows how to play. She is a very committed and responsible person. In her personality, she has clear thought of what to do and answer any why with the reasoning”.

Today, we can proudly say that Uma is a successful woman who plays many roles in her life such as an Admin & HR Head & Business Support at Design Matrix, a core member at Manzil, a wife, a daughter in law, and a mother. She is a master of many trades who truly inspires those around her.

She is a true example of Manzil’s got talent.