I walked into Indiaspora’s Forum for Good in Abu Dhabi with an open heart but no idea what to expect.?700 people in a room—and not a single familiar face.?It was a mix of excitement and nerves, but that quickly transformed into something incredible.
Over three days, I met so many passionate individuals—tech founders, doctors, investors, filmmakers, chefs, dancers, real estate leaders, Nobel Laureates, and non-profits like ours at?Rcoz. Some came to collaborate, some to invest, and others simply to connect. But what truly stood out??People wanted to talk.?Real conversations, open hearts, and a shared commitment to making a difference.
Every time I shared what?Rcoz?does—using storytelling and community dialogue to make mental health conversations easier—someone would say,?“Oh wow, that’s so important,”?and then go on to tell me about their own experiences. People talked about growing up in families where mental health was never discussed, where struggling was seen as something to hide.?Men’s mental health came up a lot.?So many men shared how they were taught to push through, to never talk about it. And yet, they were opening up—because when you make space for real conversations, people are ready to have them.
And that’s why?Rcoz exists.?To create places where these conversations feel natural. Where people don’t feel judged for sharing what they’ve been through. Seeing how easily these stories came out—even in a room full of strangers—was just another reminder of how much this work is needed.
Beyond the conversations, I made some amazing connections—people who want to help, collaborate, and bring mental health awareness to their own communities.?It was three days well spent. Huge thanks to?Indiaspora, MR Rangaswami Rangaswamy, my dear friend Praba Iyer, and Sanjeev Joshipura, Manasi Dharne Anisha Padukone?for putting together such an incredible event. I walked in knowing no one and walked out knowing that these conversations are happening everywhere—we just need to keep making room for them.#MentalHealth #IndiasporaForumForGood #LetsTalkAboutIt #MensMentalHealth #SouthAsianStories #Rcoz