Dr. Rajiv Shah

And I was blown away by the moment and by the experience, even though I was just sitting in my living room the whole time. And I decided I wanted to get an opportunity to do service work abroad. So you fast forward a little bit. I went to college. And as my

And I was blown away by the moment and by the experience, even though I was just sitting in my living room the whole time. And I decided I wanted to get an opportunity to do service work abroad. So you fast forward a little bit. I went to college. And as my

college tenure was ending, I had an opportunity to go do some service work in rural South India in a rainforest area with a tribal community called the Soliga. It was a development and health program created by a gentleman named Dr. Sudarshan, who went on appropriately to win the Right Livelihood Award for his just selfless service. But he was a doctor. He'd gone into the bush and

college tenure was ending, I had an opportunity to go do some service work in rural South India in a rainforest area with a tribal community called the Soliga. It was a development and health program created by a gentleman named Dr. Sudarshan, who went on appropriately to win the Right Livelihood Award for his just selfless service. But he was a doctor. He'd gone into the bush and

He had established a program that was effectively about treating kids and people with leprosy and epilepsy and tuberculosis. But because he was so overwhelmed by the hunger and starvation he saw in the children in those communities, he started a feeding program. He started a livelihoods program. And he just dedicated his life to helping this community thrive. survive and then rise.

He had established a program that was effectively about treating kids and people with leprosy and epilepsy and tuberculosis. But because he was so overwhelmed by the hunger and starvation he saw in the children in those communities, he started a feeding program. He started a livelihoods program. And he just dedicated his life to helping this community thrive. survive and then rise.

Well, he was at the time in his 40s. I was just a college grad. I was like 20, 21 or 22. And I kind of went there with this idealistic view that I wanted to be like him. And I got there and I took this long trip from Ann Arbor, Michigan to a place called the B.R. Hill's in Southern India. I had a backpack and mosquito repellent and all that stuff.

Well, he was at the time in his 40s. I was just a college grad. I was like 20, 21 or 22. And I kind of went there with this idealistic view that I wanted to be like him. And I got there and I took this long trip from Ann Arbor, Michigan to a place called the B.R. Hill's in Southern India. I had a backpack and mosquito repellent and all that stuff.

And they put me in this little hut in the back and I unpacked. And that first night I was just eaten by mosquitoes. I was super hungry, very tired. And I realized quickly that I didn't have what it took to be basically a saint. I mean, this was a gentleman who said, I'm going to give it all up. and dedicate my life to helping each child that walks through the door.

And they put me in this little hut in the back and I unpacked. And that first night I was just eaten by mosquitoes. I was super hungry, very tired. And I realized quickly that I didn't have what it took to be basically a saint. I mean, this was a gentleman who said, I'm going to give it all up. and dedicate my life to helping each child that walks through the door.

In fact, I'm going to go out into the villages and find those kids. And I knew that I couldn't do that. I couldn't give that much of myself, but I also knew I wanted to spend my life working on these types of issues. And back then in the mid nineties, 14% of the global population was hungry. 11 and a half million kids under the age of five would die of very simple preventable diseases.

In fact, I'm going to go out into the villages and find those kids. And I knew that I couldn't do that. I couldn't give that much of myself, but I also knew I wanted to spend my life working on these types of issues. And back then in the mid nineties, 14% of the global population was hungry. 11 and a half million kids under the age of five would die of very simple preventable diseases.

And I just started learning about those issues and saying, how can I be involved in working on them in one form or another?

And I just started learning about those issues and saying, how can I be involved in working on them in one form or another?

Well, I think it fueled me because I saw people making a difference. I saw other medical students from a local Indian medical school working with Dr. Sudarshan to change the trajectory of these kids' lives.

Well, I think it fueled me because I saw people making a difference. I saw other medical students from a local Indian medical school working with Dr. Sudarshan to change the trajectory of these kids' lives.

I saw kids who were deeply malnourished, who were four, five, six, seven years old, and I saw them get resuscitated because they'd come into a feeding program and get targeted feeding support and some medical attention. And I understood even then, if it weren't for these folks, nobody else was going to provide that care and those services.

I saw kids who were deeply malnourished, who were four, five, six, seven years old, and I saw them get resuscitated because they'd come into a feeding program and get targeted feeding support and some medical attention. And I understood even then, if it weren't for these folks, nobody else was going to provide that care and those services.

I met this young girl, maybe five or six, that very first night I was there, I decided I'd go for a walk in the outskirts of the village. And I ran into this girl who just stared at me and she's barefoot and hungry and looked impoverished, but also full of life and big eyes. And she just stared at me like I must've been so strange to look at with my backpack and my mosquito spray and all that.

I met this young girl, maybe five or six, that very first night I was there, I decided I'd go for a walk in the outskirts of the village. And I ran into this girl who just stared at me and she's barefoot and hungry and looked impoverished, but also full of life and big eyes. And she just stared at me like I must've been so strange to look at with my backpack and my mosquito spray and all that.