Some people make it their life’s mission to do good in society, not worrying about the bottom line. In the case of Ranu Jain Gupta, founder of My Sanika Cancer Care Society, the life-changing event that was her father’s passing from cancer launched her onto the path of social entrepreneurship. She helps underprivileged people deal with cancer. She is a mompreneur and learned the art from her mother who took over the family business in addition to raising the kids after the tragedy.

Motivated by the family tragedy, Ranu decided to start an NGO, My Sanika, to  educate people about cancer and assist them in their treatment. In the course of the past year that the NGO has been running, Ranu has helped with the treatment of a number of people and has gained a reputation for transparency with the way she handles her resources. She dreams of increasing awareness about cancer in rural India.

In conversation with GlobalLinker (GL) Ranu Jain Gupta (Ranu) shares her story and what motivated her to be a social entrepreneur.

GL: Tell us about your business.

Ranu: Life was going smooth around 14 years ago. One fine day we got to know that our father had been diagnosed with the dreadful disease cancer. It shook the whole family since my younger brother and I were studying and our father was the only earning member of the family.

Our mother took a bold step and she started handling the business along with taking care of our father and the entire family. We had spent so much money in his treatment but still she sent me to study in Indore in one of the most expensive institutions of India. She took a loan for this. She brought me up like a princess.

He passed away around four years ago and that very day, I decided to do something good for needy cancer patients. Around one year ago on January 10, 2016 I started an NGO, My Sanika Cancer Care Society.

We help needy cancer patients - those who can’t afford the treatment. We also spread awareness among people about this disease and clear misunderstandings and myths about cancer.

GL: What are the challenges you have faced in establishing your business?

Ranu: The most difficult part was to build trust as people don’t trust NGOs that easily. So, we kept our accounts open to all those who started getting associated with us. We wanted to make sure that all the money is being used correctly.

Another challenge was to make my family realise that whatever I am doing will impact people’s life. My husband played a very important in making them understand.

Being a mother while running your own organisation and working in an IT company was very challenging. Mompreneurs have dual responsibilities but my family supported me a lot.

GL: What is the USP of your business?

Ranu: There are NGOs that are working for the welfare of needy cancer patients but the majority of them are mainly dependent on donations. The unique part about our NGO is that 95% of our funds are coming from the events that we organise.

GL: What are some of the milestones of your business?

Ranu: We have a very small team but still we could manage to organise 7 fundraising events without asking for donations and any sponsorship. Till date (in one year) we have helped 9 needy cancer patients.

We recently did an auction of merchandise by YouWeCan, a foundation of Yuvraj Singh. All the proceeds were given to YouWeCan for the education of cancer survivor kids.

GL: What role do you feel GlobalLinker plays in connecting and assisting SMEs?

Ranu: GlobalLinker is playing an excellent role in connecting and helping SMEs collaborate. It’s an amazing platform to promote your organisation and share your experiences. I loved the way the team had explained all the features of this platform.

GL: What is your big business dream?

Ranu: To be the best organisation that works towards patient care, aid, assistance, awareness and advocacy. Also, as a preventive measure we want to run the cancer awareness camp to increase literacy about the issue especially in rural India.

We are coming up with a story platform “The Super Warriors” on March 8, 2017. Through this platform we will share the inspirational stories of cancer conquerors to motivate the other fighters.

We are also coming up with a big business plan to scale up My Sanika. As a target for 2017, we want to help at least 100 patients.

GL: What is your message to aspiring entrepreneurs?

Ranu: Entrepreneurship gives you a lot of freedom. You can make your own decisions and can set your own schedule. Being an entrepreneur you pick the work you like to do and that makes the most of your strengths and skills. The result can be more than job satisfaction. So go for it without any fear. Never give up.

A special message for the aspiring women entrepreneurs:

Entrepreneurship is an ideal model for women to launch themselves and their ideas into the business world. Multitasking has been in your blood since ages. By opting for a path of entrepreneurship you can adjust and manage the household and business life successfully on your own terms.

Disclaimer: This article is based solely on the inputs shared by the featured member. GlobalLinker does not necessarily endorse the views, opinions & facts stated by the member.