What began as friendly visits to nearby orphanages when she was six years old evolved into a lifelong desire to help children in need as she grew older. Divya Reddy Meda, Director of Operations at Accountri and Founder of Macle Charitable Trust, a Non-Governmental Organization, started this project in high school and has since sent over 2000 children to higher education. Macle is the result of the collaboration of three distinct projects. To enlighten, elevate, and emancipate children in India by carrying out these three projects in orphanages at the same time. The Macle Charitable Trust is an entirely student-run organization that aims to reduce the rate of illiteracy and poverty in India. Since 2015, they have been working to educate underprivileged children by teaching them English, preparing children to be outgoing and capable of facing challenges, and providing tutors and mentors to help children stay in school.
We asked her why she named the NGO ‘Macle,’ to which she replied, “Macle is a twin diamond, which is rarer than a regular diamond. It is extremely difficult to spot one because it resembles a muddy rock, and even then, it takes twice as long as a regular diamond to shine. But when it does, all of the effort will have been worthwhile. These kids are as well. They are the diamonds that have been overlooked and misidentified as rocks. However, if you have the patience to sit with them and teach in various ways without giving up, they will be the brightest and most creative students. That is why my NGO is called Macle Charitable Trust, which means ‘Diamonds of Society’.”
The NGO works directly with 17 orphanages in three Indian states: Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Andhra Pradesh. Macle has been invited to organize workshops by the State Government and third-language speaking companies, which has helped them gain recognition, and allowed them to adopt more than 50 children. Although Macle’s primary focus has been on teaching English to children from various orphanages in addition to required subjects in their schools, Macle’s founder made certain that extracurricular activities and events that boost their self-confidence were included. Macle also encourages students and young people who are interested in the organization to join their movement and participate in their initiative.
When she is not working, Divya enjoys writing, social work, sketching, and boxing. Alongside being a freelance writer, she has been able to complete her most recent book, Pillars of English, which delves deeply into English grammar and covers the fundamentals of grammar for people of all ages, as well as writing short stories on Wattpad. Her next book will be an anthology of short stories coming out in 2022.
She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Entrepreneurship at the University of Notre Dame in order to ensure that her NGO does not fail and grows to help many more people in the future. Part of that process is to research the current economy and come up with creative ways to assist the NGO to grow, given that the majority of world is still in the virtual phase, she is encouraged to seek out more innovative methods as trade evolves on a daily basis.
