Lessons from a 19-year-old: How to inspire the youth with stories and an FB page

Delhi University student, Shivam Agarwal wants India's youth to grow up in a better India and he is using social media and online platform 'The Rising Bharat' to make his dream come true
Shivam Agarwal is a student at Delhi University
Shivam Agarwal is a student at Delhi University

While most of us use social media to post pictures and check-in at fancy places, 19-year-old Shivam Agarwal, co-founder of the online platform, The Rising Bharat is using it to inspire the youth and to build a better future for them. This Delhi University student founded the page where he and his team intend to inspire thousands of individuals by training them through workshops, inspiring stories and campaigns. The idea is to load the young audience with positivity and encouragement. 

As a result, social media pages are filling up with stories of small acts of kindness that have the endurance to move young, impressionable readers and impact their lives. Similarly, the workshops and campaigns they conduct are based on themes like women empowerment, empathy and colours of positivity. 

But with millions of pages on social media, could this one page have a voice loud enough? Turns out, it can! It has already reached more than 2 lakh people with the help of a small yet dedicated team of 25 people, who basically run a full-fledged website and social media pages. 

We caught up with Shivam and here's what he had to say about handling such a responsible platform as a college student: 

What's your motivation to run a website that deals with these sensitive topics?
I think it is because I love making dreams a reality. It has always been my dream to bring a thriving change in the society and impact people's lives. During my first year of college, I did a variety of internships ranging from start-ups to youth organisations like Global Youth, Connecting Dreams Foundation, Rotary and Youth for Peace International. This made me realise that impacting and influencing lives gives me unparalleled felicities, which led me to co-founding The Rising Bharat. 

Starting with a team of three members, we eventually grew into a team of 25 and this gave us the chance to challenge and strengthen our managerial and teamwork skills

Shivam Agarwal, co-founder, The Rising Bharat

What are the aspects you concentrate on at The Rising Bharat? And why? 
We, at The Rising Bharat, aim to bring about a change in the way India is looked at. Having reached more than 2 lakh people, with a team of 25, we want to make an impact. By partnering with various organisations, our team engages in developing and pervasively spreading the narratives that make societies better.

I see that you have given a lot of importance to building empathy in today's youth? What is the thought process behind that? 
In today's era, there are people from diverse communities working together and building a path towards our country's future. There is a heterogeneous environment that leads to conflicts and can hamper our peaceful co-existence. The youth of our nation can be taught to live together peacefully by the virtues of empathy and non-violence. 

Has your college helped you in the process? 
To be honest, my college has not been a major benefactor in my journey, until now. The reason for this is the rotten conditions and the curriculum of some of Delhi University's colleges, which only follow rote learning approach rather than a pragmatic one. What my college really helped me with was liberty of attendance and that's what every Delhi University brat will gloat about. 

What do you think is your biggest strength to run this organisation?
My biggest strength would be constant commitment towards the organisation and my managerial skills. At the same time, I was associated with more than one organisation and had an internship going on on the side. All this takes constant commitment and an assiduous approach towards handling the workload is the ultimate saviour.

Do you think that the country's youth should be more proactive? 
By the year 2022, India will be the youngest country in the world. The youth will have the power to change our country and this won't happen without taking suitable action. They just need to believe in themselves and take the first step towards change without pondering over the results. That's exactly what we want the youth to know through our platform.

What's your idea to fight against the corrupt system that affects students?
The current scenario of the CBSE paper leak profoundly illustrates how students are affected by our corrupt system. I believe that to fight against such systems, they themselves should first stop being a part of any corrupt practices and be aware of their rights. Second, the youth of our nation are drooling over social media, so why not make it a platform where their voices can be heard. This could be a fervent way to fight against the corrupt system. 

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