Ambassador Manna Dabholkar, CEO, US Global Goodwill Ambassador, Diplomat and human rights activist, lives her life as a shining beacon of hope and stunning example of what it means to truly give back. As the CEO of GIFT Global Initiative, she spearheads a humanitarian effort that serves families from some of the most impoverished places in Asia, Africa, and both North and South America. Her organization’s goal is to uplift, teach and empower the families in these areas to become self-sufficient and self-sustaining. She is a true believer that each one of us can make a difference. Ambassador Dabholkar shows us how to be strong, intelligent, resilient, compassionate and most of all COURAGEOUS in both the boardroom and the field. She is a true leader with a servant’s heart, rescuing and strengthening families all across the world.
FWM: Ambassador Dabholkar, I’m truly honored to interview you. Please introduce yourself.
AMD: I am Manna Dabholkar, Chief Executive Officer of GIFT Global Initiative, Global Goodwill Ambassador for USA, A Diplomat, Commissioner on the Sybil Brand Commission for Institutional Inspections, Human Rights Activist and Non-Profit Leader for over 15 years. Most importantly, I am a doting dog mom and I take my role very seriously.
FWM: As the CEO of GIFT Global Initiative you are constantly changing lives. Please tell us about your company’s mission and goals.
AMD: GIFT Global Initiative is a global humanitarian organization that serves children and families from some of the poorest places on our planet in Asia, Africa, South, Central and North America. GIFT was founded on a simple philosophy “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
In my 15 years of working in areas that are underserved, poverty-stricken, drug infested, controlled by the cartels, affected by violence, abuse and exploitation, I recognized the stark absence of efforts geared towards prevention. It became clear I must make it a priority to educate governments, individuals and corporations about mindful sustainable charity, bringing a hand up, not a handout. GIFT was founded to protect families and their children by preventing situations that lead to exploitation of these people. Prevent is a big word for us at GIFT. I never understood why anyone must go through a traumatic episode to get the help they deserve. We must be proactive with humanitarian aid and mindful with the nature of aid we provide to people in need. Transitional aid such as free food, free blankets, free shelter, free medical, etc. is great but only for so long. That’s not what GIFT is about. Our goal is to uplift these children, strengthen their family unit so it can provide and protect their own and do not have to rely on outside entities for simple necessities in life. Our goal is to bring them a hand up in life, not a handout.
We do so by 1) identifying areas that require support 2) implementing programs that are preventive in nature and scope such as Education for All, Renewable Energy, Clean Water Initiative, Medical Fund, Mobile Clinics, Pop Up Schools, and more.
FWM: What led you to become a human rights activist and champion for humanitarian relief?
AMD: My journey, a conscious decision of committing my life to public service started well before I landed in the United States as an immigrant 12 years ago. Born and raised by parents who were lifelong public servants – Papa was in politics, a lawmaker advocating for the poorest neighborhoods and slums in India and Mom was a homemaker supporting his aspirations and crazy ideas to create a better world. While other kids were out playing and making friends, we were accompanying my Papa on his election rallies, holding his hand and walking through some of the most dangerous slums of India. The people who lived in these slums had no food on their tables, no running water, no sanitation or electricity but they welcomed us with open arms. I would see him sit on dirt floors and eat with these families. Children in shabby old clothes with snot running down their noses, greasy dirty fingers would hug him. As a child I cringed that he didn’t mind the unhygienic conditions around him, often spending hours in these places.
Years later I found myself standing in a small, cold, congested dirty brothel, as it poured outside, trying to rescue those little babies to safety from their traffickers. I couldn’t turn my back on so many others who are still living in environments that make them easy targets of the darker underbelly of our society. My journey is a lifelong commitment to speaking up against injustice and giving a voice to the vulnerable children, women & men and sharing their stories of perseverance and success. In many ways, my life has come full circle. Today I find myself following in my Papa’s footsteps, loving every minute of this journey.
FWM: As you travel abroad, what is the one thing that inspires you to continue your efforts? What keeps you motivated?
AMD: The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. I learnt that early on from my father who has always advocated for people who were marginalized by systematic oppression or stuck in generational cycle of poverty.
Humanitarian work can be very exhausting. It is easy to lose sight when there are so many who need help. Knowing and understanding your end goal(s) can help you avoid getting sucked into the sinkhole of depression. You need to know what you’re fighting for so you remain focused and driven to keep pushing without getting overwhelmed by the demands. Clarity of the end goal is the biggest motivating factor because a clear vision will help you go beyond the realm of fuzzy.
Let me explain. I work with families who have no food on their table for days and most of them use water from a nearby gutter. They don’t have toilets, electricity, cable, internet and all the simple pleasures of life. I work with children who are abandoned by their families because they are HIV positive or have cancer or such other medical condition that the family either doesn’t understand or does not have the funds to treat or both. I serve children who are at risk of being sex trafficked at the tender age of 4 and 5.
What is my end goal? What keeps me going is the clarity of my vision for these families and their children. We are not in this just to provide transitional aid. I am fighting for Uplifting these people, I am fighting to Improve their financial condition, not to keep them poor, I am fighting to bring them a Hand up in Life and Not a Handout. I am fighting to educate the world about mindful sustainable giving. I am motivated to keep fighting by the success stories I get to share with you all.
FWM: As Global Goodwill Ambassador of the United States, what are some of your duties?
AMD: As a Global Goodwill Ambassador, I lend my name and dedicate my support to putting a spotlight on bringing unheard women’s and children’s voices front and center. Goodwill Ambassadors are prominent individuals from the world of humanitarian work, human rights and other fields of public life globally. The Global Goodwill Ambassadors highlight the voices of underserved families in their sphere of influence and through their organizations.
FWM: Please share with us your message of hope.
AMD: I will share a note I received from a child I had rescued from sex trafficking many years ago. He was 5 years old and we found him gagged, hands and feet tied and pinned across a table which was built to serve as a make-shift bed. If we had not rescued him that night, he would be subject to rape about 7-8 times a day for 9-10 years of his life. His message and similar notes we get from children and families we serve affirm my belief that as long as there is life, there is hope for betterment.
FWM: Between your roles as Ambassador, CEO, activist and humanitarian you have very little downtime. When you have time to relax, what is your self-care regime?
AMD: My work involves dealing with the sad realities of our world – children suffering from hunger, poverty, drugs, young teen moms being exploited, families struggling to meet ends meet, etc. In order to be of service to others we must share from a full cup, not a drained and depleted one. Women are often so little aware of the self. When women work outside the home, their work inside doesn’t magically go away! Most women continue to bear the ‘double burden’ of two jobs – resulting in immense stress as well as lost opportunities. Then we have societal pressures that often blur the line between being selfish and self-caring.
No matter how busy my days are, I find time and enjoyable ways to take care of my health – both physical and mental. There are a few things I incorporate in my self-care regimen. Daily Meditation and workouts in the Gym and weekly tennis. Let me share a little about each one of these three things.
Meditation – I take weekly classes in Meditation and Intuitive Healing with Kathryn Schiff, who has been teaching Meditation, Clairvoyance, and Energy tools, privately and in classes for over 20 something years. Meditation allows you to be more centered and achieve clarity of thinking. I meditate about 5-10 minutes every day. Meditation isn’t about sitting cross-legged, Ignore the cliché. Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk and writer who spent years alone says, “We cannot see things in perspective until we cease to hug them to our bosom,”. Meditation is a meaningful pause, removing yourself from the social context of your surroundings and spending time with yourself.
Workouts – I started working out when I was 16 and have never stopped. I will show up in the gym at 11 pm if I must to get the daily workout in. A healthy combination of weights, cardio should keep your blood pumping and energy levels high.
Tennis – Tennis has been a lifelong passion and I find time to be on the courts at least a few times a week. In 2016, Babolat launched our Babolove Ambassador Program in the US. These individuals serve as brand ambassadors for Babolat, and they have a deep passion for the game. Just like me, tennis runs in their blood! I was welcomed by the Babolat family as a Brand Ambassador to take the message of Peace through Tennis on all our diplomatic tours and speaking tours. I believe there are three things that should be incorporated in high level diplomatic settings – Sport, Music and Food. These three things are universal and have great power to unite people across borders. I am fortunate that Babolat supports our vision of Peace through Sports Diplomacy.
FWM: As women, how important is our role in both activism and humanitarianism?
AMD: From the women who came together in Seneca Falls for the United States first women’s conference, to the Mirabal sisters who protested dictatorship in the Dominican Republic, ending child marriage in India or genital mutilation in Africa, women have always pushed for political transition towards a better world, often risking their lives to tell the truth. Women’s activism has shaped the world and will continue to shape the world. Women and children had been seen primarily as victims of disasters, wars or passive beneficiaries of assistance. While the specific roles played by women and girls are often off the radar for mainstream humanitarian action, they are in fact amongst the first and frontline responders. It’s already happening, and the challenge and opportunity for the humanitarian system is to now better support those efforts. We must Rebrand Women’s activism, so it no longer gets sidelined and women are right fully recognized as frontline responders and decision makers. That will happen as we appoint more women in leadership positions in public life, more women activists, more women politicians, more women advisors, more women ambassadors and diplomats – more women leaders!
FWM: What words of encouragement can you offer women who have dedicated themselves to these efforts?
AMD: I recently met a fellow human rights activist from the Middle East at the Pan African Humanitarian Summit. She was disappointed at the treatment women receive in the fabric of internalized sexism in our world. I said to her “You have a beautiful soul, keep fighting the good fight for our social progress. It is always a bit more painful and difficult for women in any field, but future generations will thank you for not giving up” I will repeat the same message to every woman who has dedicated a lifetime to these efforts. Do Not Give Up.
FWM: How can our readers connect with you outside of this interview?
AMD: I am very active on social media as I believe in the power of educating the masses about our work and being transparent with our supporters. Anyone who wants to reach out to me can do so via Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn at Manna Dabholkar. They can also email us at Info@GiftGlobalInitiative.Org .
Website: https://giftglobalinitiative.org/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/manna-dabholkar-265296a5
FB: https://www.facebook.com/GIFTGlobalInitiative
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mannadabholkar/ (Manna personal)
https://www.instagram.com/giftglobalinitiative/ (GIFT)
