While the breakout of Coronavirus made us understand what nature can do if we don’t stop being reckless, we realized some other things. Some acknowledged the importance of family time, while some unraveled their deepest scars.
It’s not hidden that the suicide count hiked up during the lockdown period when people were trapped within the four walls of their houses. During such times of need, one of us emerged with a vision that can save people from falling into oblivion due to mental disorders.
This one person is none other than India’s youngest philanthropist, Rushi Dave. Let us know how he started the Grey Matter, which helps us to access free psychological therapy.
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Introduction: Rushi Dave
The 19-year-old Rushi Dave hails from Vadodara, Gujrat, India. As modest as he is, he owns the title of the youngest philanthropist of India. “ I have been rewarded as… have been fortunate enough to be given that title…” says Rushi regarding his title.
Rushi comes from a middle-class, business background family and is currently pursuing BBA. He turned out to be an all-rounder as his hobbies ranged from reading books to having solo trips. While elaborating on his hobbies, he says,” In sports, I am interested in Basketball, and I also play drums…biking, this is all that I like to do in my free time”.
Along with all the studies and hobbies, he has found his balance for his responsibilities as the founder of Grey Matter.
Beginning of Grey Matter: Rushi Dave
Every good deed comes from an experience or inspiration. In this case, Rushi says that as a teenager, he experienced basic teenage problems. As there was no one for him when he was depressed and started having anxiety, this made him firm that something should be done to stop this from happening to other people.
“In India, it is considered a stigma. If you are going through any mental health problem, it’s a bad thing. You are termed as a weak person.”, says Rushi. And these words are true and can be felt by everyone.
Rushi not only said but also made efforts to break this stigma by founding Grey Matter. So he started the foundation at the age of 19 amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
Rushi described that the news of several suicides throughout the lockdown made him realize the need for Grey Matter. So, here he is with his team to rescue you from any disturbing thoughts.
Challenges with Grey Matter: Rushi Dave
Whenever someone tries to break the boundaries set by society, it’s never easy. The same was with Rushi and his team. He says that initially, they had a lot of failures.
The biggest hurdle was that people weren’t willing to accept that they were sick or suffering. And those who took the therapy were not able to interpret the advice properly.
Elaborating on his experience, Rushi says,” We used to receive backlash, but eventually when we started seeing results, people starting seeing results…They started seeing the true side of us, and they started helping us move forward.” The way he describes his journey with Grey Matter makes him a leader and not a boss.
Insights regarding the Grey Matter: Rushi Dave
If asked to be summarized, Grey Matter solely works for “good mental health for all.” The whole team works tirelessly throughout the day to make things possible.
Rushi says, “If you are currently going through anything. If you are going through the smallest of the problems. If you didn’t have a good day… Just know that there is always one someone who’s there for you, and let that one someone be us (Grey Matter).”
He not only aims towards mental well-being but also takes the responsibility to make it an anonymous therapy. The one who approaches Grey Matter doesn’t have to worry about their identity or personal information being leaked.
Rushi tells us that for now, they have a registration form on their Instagram page. That form needs some basic information of the person and a mode to communicate with them, either the phone number or email.
But soon, Grey Matter will have a well-established website that won’t need any of the contacts. The person in need can directly come to the platform and get a counselor. This will ease some of the concerns of the people who have a hard time believing in others.
Grey Matter WorkForce: Rushi Dave
“At the moment, apart from the counselors, we also have the people working for the social media team. We have a designated Social Media team, an HR team, and we also have a marketing team.” describes Rushi about the people who work for Grey Matter.
All the therapists or counselors are certified with a psychological background. At the same time, the rest of the team is highly qualified and devoted to the cause. The fascinating part about Grey Matter is that if you come in, then you will always be part of the family.
Even if you are someone seeking therapy, you still are a part of the Grey Matter. To which Rushi says that everyone is always welcomed. “ The more, the merrier” is what Rushi thinks and voices in the interview.
Other Ventures: Rushi Dave
Being the youngest philanthropist, Rushi started a community named WellSprings at the age of 17. The community works on the basic education to the underprivileged. The members of WellSprings visit small villages or slums where there is no facility provided for the basic education of the kids.
Every worker spends their time teaching them and marking the beginning to their bright future. As the parent to Grey Matter, WellSprings works for a totally different cause.
It fascinating how a mere teenager is handling such responsibilities with such efficiency. Rushi explains that he works on time management to take out time for things that he likes in the midst of all these important matters.
So now we know that there’s always someone who will professionally assist us through our hard times. With this, we wish him and Grey Matter good luck and hope that they grow immensely.
