Step by Step: Varun Hiremath Leads Rural Communities Towards Dignity and Opportunity
Step by step, Varun Hiremath is walking with rural communities towards a future of dignity and opportunity
It was a day of absolute happiness and celebration in the little village of Nitlas, Panvel, as the kids of Raigad Zilla Parishad Prathmik School were given something very special. This was a happy moment brought by the caring effort of a visionary, Varun Hiremath, who came up with the idea of the Hiremath Family Foundation. Varun, with a heart full of kindness, had ensured that he would give the students a new pair of shoes and they would no longer be forced to walk to school barefooted.
It was an instant dose of hope to the students. Varun was explaining the real meaning of the gift as he addressed them. He said, it is not only uncomfortable to walk barefoot to school, but also makes you feel forgotten, as you do not count. These shoes are not only about your feet being safe against dust and rough roads. They stand as your worth, your promise and the opportunities that you should have. These shoes will help you walk into a better future.”
This was a transformation to the children. It made them feel dignified in a way that they had not felt before. When one of the little boys brought his shoes he smiled at himself, so proud was he at the sight of them. To him, new shoes did not mean that alone, it meant progress, a milestone in his life. A girl of ten, with her shoes carefully clasped in her hands, promised to take good care of them as though they were the dearest thing she possessed. They were not merely about comfort to her, they were hope, a better life, a future with opportunities.
This is not the only act of Varun Hiremath with regard to supporting the rural population. He has made it his mission through the Hiremath Family Foundation to raise these underserved groups through providing health, education and digital literacy support. His foundation has equipped individuals with what they require to be independent, to stand tall, and to seek opportunities that they could not have attained previously. The outcomes are clear: the neighborhoods that previously lived in the cycle of poverty and neglect are now rising with their heads held up high and with a sense of independence.
The difference in Varun as a leader is that he firmly believes in action. Varun is not only one to talk about change, he is one to make it happen. His style is based on the actual needs of the communities that he serves in the rural areas. However busy his schedule might be, he is personally engaged, making sure that his initiatives are responsive to the particular problems these communities encounter. He is close to the people, has a practical attitude and is never tired of hard work; these factors have made him a real leader- one who does not merely give people promises of change but delivers.
Millions of lives have been changed through the vision of Varun. A simple idea to gift a pair of shoes has grown into a broader movement, a movement which has given empowerment, dignity and a sense of opportunity to rural Maharashtra. Varun Hiremath is a leader with feet on the ground and feet of clay and with each step he makes he leaves a legacy of hope and inspiration to future generations.
