Divya Dangi : Inspiring girls to dream big
“My dream is to establish a Yoga center in the Himalayan hills to spread awareness about mental and physical health.”
Divya Dangi graduated from Himalayan Inter College (HIC) in 2017. She is a native of Berinag town. She studied English, History & Political Science for her Bachelor’s degree in Arts from Uttarakhand Open University. Currently she is pursuing her Masters degree in Yoga and human well being from the same institution. Her academic goals include doing a PhD in Yoga.
Having lost her father and mother at an early age, life has been difficult and challenging for Divya. A recipient of scholarship from Himalayan Education Foundation (HEF), she stayed in the hostel while studying at HIC, Chaukori. After her Bachelors degree studies, Divya worked in a Yoga Centre as an Instructor for 5 months. She now stays with her elder sister in Haldwani and prepares for examinations for a government job. She says cities offer more career opportunities though she learnt a lot from HIC which is located in a rural area.
In her spare time, Divya loves to practice Yoga and reads mostly self help books to keep herself motivated. One of her favourite books is “The power of your Subconscious mind” written by Joseph Murphy. Her mantra: “Healthy mind in a healthy body for a healthy society”.
Speaking about her ambitions in life, Divya says, “ I would love to teach Yoga to people for their physical and mental health. Today’s youth have more mental issues than physical problems. Ideally I would like to establish a Yoga center in the hills so that it can offer the right ambience for learning and self development for both rural and urban people.”
As for the challenges faced by hilly communities, she observes, “Most of the rural people are not aware of what goes on beyond their small village world. They don’t have a positive attitude towards education.There are issues such as gender discrimination and lack of opportunties. Parents still favour education for boys only and support them in comparison to girls. People have few sources of income in hilly areas. They face many financial problems. Due to this not many can afford higher education.”
Younger Divya Dangi at HIC
Divya fondly remembers her school days.“Though I have a lot of good memories of HIC, my best is when I received the Dadu award. I got it twice in 11th and 12th classes! This award is given to students who perform well in both academics and extracurricular activities.”
She remarks, “We are lucky to have a school like HIC in a remote place like Chaukori. I am glad that Himalayan Education Foundation (HEF) encourages girls’ education. I too benefitted from their support to promote study opportunities for girls towards their empowerment.”
Imagining the future, this young Yoga practitioner says, “After I succeed in my present aims and settle in life, I want to financially support economically weaker rural girls in their education and motivate them to stay strong mentally. That is how I want to give back to society what I have received.”
Divya’s advice to the current students of HIC: “Learning is an endless process. Keep on learning not only for the betterment of yourself but for others as well.”
Contact Details:
Email : divyadangi1713@gmail.com
Phone no.: 8194085977
