Maitreyi Jichkar, Founder and Chief Happiness Officer at myzerogravity.org, is transforming the definition of happiness through her impactful initiatives. While philosophers debate the essence of happiness, Jichkar has found it in renovating government school buildings.
Maitreyi Jichkar, is the daughter of the late Dr. Shrikant Jichkar, an esteemed Congress politician and Indian central civil servant. Dr. Jichkar, known for his impressive academic achievements with 20 university degrees, was elected the youngest Member of the Legislative Assembly in the country at the age of 26. Maitreyi leads "The Happy School Project," which aims to transform the perception of government schools from being seen as neglected, dreary, and uninspiring. This non-profit initiative operates within the framework of the Dr. Shrikant Jichkar Foundation.
The project's objective is to revolutionize the schooling experience for children from low-income backgrounds. It has commenced in schools across Maharashtra, focusing on holistic school makeovers. Central to the initiative is the innovative concept of 'Building as Learning Aid', aiming to transform school environments into dynamic educational spaces.
In an interview with LokmatTimes.Com, Maitreyi mentioned that she has successfully transformed 100 schools thus far. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 40 schools in Osmanabad district in Maharashtra underwent transformation, with funding sourced from ONGC.
Crowdfunding has never been easy; it has been a struggle. However, we persevered by approaching various sources for donations. Industrialists such as ONGC and IndiGo Airlines have been instrumental in supporting our journey, she further said.
When discussing the trend of politicians' children following in their parents' footsteps, Maitreyi expressed that her father serves as a social inspiration for her. From a young age, she developed empathy and understood that he was a visionary at the policy level, addressing social issues. However, personally, politics is not her preference. She keeps politics separate from her foundation work. She said that politics is not an inclination for her, and she has no intention of entering that sphere. Instead, she mentioned that her brother is the one who intends to pursue a career in politics.
Working with the social impact organization Zero Gravity presents Maitreyi Jichkar with formidable challenges. Convincing school officials and stakeholders that "government schools can be fancy" demands persistent effort. In her pre-project research, she confronted stark realities steeped in biases and neglect. Witnessing firsthand how schools rationed access to toilets, with some lacking proper facilities altogether, deeply affected her.