From Hong Kong to Hyderabad... Anjali Daryanani is in the city to keep afloat an NGO struggling to survive

“Gender bias, pregnable and a society dominated by men” were the clichéd remarks that Anjali Daryanani, documentary filmmaker and social entrepreneur from Hong Kong, heard constantly about India. Despite the stigma, Anjali was inspired to come to India and work for the welfare of deprived children.

Anjali has been in Hyderabad for the past one year and helped raised Rs 10 lakh through the documentary Spandana, which is about an NGO for poor children who cannot afford their education and basic necessities. She says, “I felt attached to the organisation and I wanted to help them in a more meaningful way. So I’m sharing their story with the world.”

She realised that the education system in most of the schools here was below standard. “It was not only the qualification but also the curriculum, which was all about memorising. I wanted to place the kids in a better school, so I used my contacts to screen my documentary in London and Washington DC to raise funds. Now, with that money, 23 kids have got admission in an exceptional school.”

Opposition: Anjali’s wish to come to India was opposed by many, but that did not alter her decision. “In life when you have to choose a certain path, you will face criticism but you have to rise above all that,” she says. Despite the objections, she wanted to serve the community. “I had a lot of opportunities as a woman growing up, I feel that I should share this with other women. I would like to inspire and empower women.”

Storytelling: “One of my main goals of making the documentary is to help people tell their own stories and to share such stories that can inspire change.” Anjali admits that a lot of people abroad are interested in helping, but they are disillusioned with “corruption” in India, so they are hesitant to help. When asked if she was thinking about returning to Hong Kong or the US, she says, “I would like to stay in India for some time and I would like to focus on gender discrimination that is the prominent issue.”