Hailing from a Kashmiri Pandit family, Dr. Ruby Bakshi Khurdi was born and raised in Lucknow. Her parents always ensured that she and her sister got a good education and moral values throughout their childhood. They ensured that both the girls learned Kashmiri, even though they were raised away from Kashmir.
Ruby was always a brilliant student, and she had a consistent interest in extracurricular activities too. But her introverted nature always came in the way, and she couldn’t participate freely in extracurricular activities or interact in class as much as she wanted to.
Her transformative journey started when she was a child.
As a child, she enjoyed ‘playing’ the teacher and teaching her grandparents as her students. She taught them how studying is essential to shape one’s career. Little did she realize that her grandparents were retired and were relaxing in their old age. But this sowed a seed of ‘passion for education within her. She slowly realized that she had a passion for teaching, which has brought her to where she is today!
When she enrolled in college, she opened up a little. Her professors used to ask her to conduct a session in their absence or when they were occupied. It was when she became sure that she wanted to pursue something in the education field. It was because whenever she used to teach, it gave her immense satiation and happiness.
She also catered to her desire to participate in extracurriculars. She participated under the National Service Scheme (NSS) and was sent to camps to perform social service in college. She also became the President of one such camp in NSS. She took her team to remote villages to teach the women and children about the importance of sanitation and period cleanliness. That’s when she realized that she had a passion for social work and spreading social awareness. But this was just the start of her journey.
Gradually she started doing more of such activities. Her family, too, started supporting her thought process and initiatives and people started recognizing her and noticing her social work. Many people began questioning her also. Some were opposing her choices and her will to work for social causes and investing money in them. This kind of opposition and backlash made situations difficult for her at times.
Educator Dr. Ruby Bakshi Khurdi
Soon enough, her passion for teaching got her an opportunity to teach in Switzerland. But to prove herself in a foreign country like Switzerland was not easy. Many people undermined her because of her young age. She also faced gender inequality as a woman.
But Ruby overcame such thinking with her consistent hard work. She spent a lot of time in the library, performing research, and creatively designing her lectures. Ruby understood the psychology of introverts very well as she was one of them, too, back in her childhood. Besides this, she also made sure of a safe learning environment for her students. She encouraged students to speak up without hesitation. Ruby also initiated an online learning platform where her students competed by playing quizzes, which made learning fun for them.
Soon after becoming a prominent professor at the Swiss University at a young age, she wanted to do something for women’s empowerment. She started bringing women together under a women empowerment group that she led. She started an academy for such women to make sure they feel comfortable expressing themselves without hesitation and fear. Her efforts drew support from the mayor of their commune.
The mayor gave her a room in the community hall to conduct their monthly meetings, discuss the issues, and then create a solution for the problem. After gaining experience on how to empower women through her academy, she started a YouTube channel too. There she started uploading online learning tutorials for women, which they could avail of absolutely free of cost.
Thousands of people have taken those courses in developing countries to educate people in remote areas and create awareness with those tutorials. Ruby soon became a social entrepreneur as well and started catering to women’s needs. She got invitations from various platforms to speak about topics like emotional intelligence and women empowerment.
Gradually, she started getting immense recognition because of the media. Her work started opening up to everyone, and she was on the news as well. She was featured on the cover page of some of the best international magazines. It became a moment of pride for Ruby and her family as more and more people started noticing her work and benefiting from it.
Ruby has faced many hurdles in her life, but she overcame each one with confidence and determination. It was possible because her parents always supported and motivated her. It is always said that ‘Behind every successful man, there is a woman.’ However, in Ruby’s case, she considers her husband, Mr.Sunil Khurdi, to be the prime reason for her success. Her husband and parents have been her silent pillars of support throughout her journey.
She also drew inspiration from India’s beloved Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, who always encouraged women’s empowerment. She considers Modiji to be a prime example of how even a single person can make global efforts and pave the way for success for the nation. Life has indeed come a full circle for Ruby. She, as an introvert, was hesitant to speak in public and now has become a prominent professor, social entrepreneur empowering people to speak openly and pursue their dreams.
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