Inspire
She’s a qualified medical Doctor, founder of an organisation dedicated to eradicating poverty; student at Harvard University and a pretty good Salsa dancer too… Meet Divya Dhar, a young Kiwi on a mission to make the world a better place...
group bringing together presenters and
really lucky; you create your own luck through
participants to showcase their research
working hard!”
on health. In her early University years she also led the youth rotary club rotaract,
It seems Divya’s hard work is paying off,
organising a national charity ball.
having just celebrated its second birthday; the P3 Foundation has already achieved
Amongst all this Divya travelled to Costa
some very positive things.
Rica to do her medical elective – that is where she found what she describes as
“In 2010 we ran a campaign called ‘Pay Fair
her ‘true calling.’
Trade Forward’ – participants went into an Esquires Coffee Shop that sells fair trade
“I met so many wonderful people while
drinks. They then bought a fair trade drink as
I was there – people who were living
a gift for the next person, so when the next
in extreme poverty, with no running
person came in to buy a coffee they were
water or electricity. I’m a big believer
informed they already have a fair trade one
in relationships, so once I’d made that
paid for them. The experiment was a huge
connection with people it became
success as customers continued to pay fair
For 9am the house is abuzz with laughter,
something personal and I knew that this
trade forward.”
chatter and the smell of breakfast cooking.
was what I wanted to devote my life to.
Back in New Zealand for her twin sisters wedding, I meet Divya at her family home in Auckland.
She leads me outside to a swing chair, the
P3 also run a social enterprise competition
yard littered with chairs and large cooking
Thus, in 2009 the p3 Foundation was born,
for high school students.
pots, soaking from a leftover feast - “There’s
an organisation with a mission to provide
been functions every night this week leading
opportunities for young New Zealanders
“We give them a broad theme and from
up to the wedding,”she explains with a
to be active participants in eradicating
there get them to come up with a project
tired smile.
extreme poverty in the Asia-Pacific region.
that fits within that theme – they pitch their idea and the winning team are given
Sitting outside on a swing chair she tells
“Youth are passionate, creative risk takers
money to help them put their plan into
me how her journey began.
– that’s why I knew the P3 Foundation
action. Last year a group came up with the
had to revolve around young people and
idea of delivering a water tank to Tonga –
“It all started when I was 16 and a teacher
empowering them to make to make
the ship left last week!!
at my school (Pakuranga College) asked
a difference.”
me if I’d like to take part in a speech competition, this eventually led me to the
Being CEO of the P3 Foundation is But not everyone was convinced.
United Nations Youth Conference. I met so
only part of Divya’s very full life – she is currently studying at Harvard University in
many inspiring people there and I just felt
“My parents and others were very cynical
the US, where she is doing a conjoint in
like I wasn’t part of that group – they were
of the whole thing, I had to win them over,
public policy.
giving so much to life and getting so
and eventually they bought into the dream
much back.”
– it took two years but now they’re all for
“The creative process of starting
it,” she says wryly.
an organisation has excited me, I’m
Divya says that’s when her mindset
really interested in global health
changed and she came back and set out on
One really important thing this whole process
entrepreneurship. I want to use my medical
a journey to find her passion.
has taught me is that first and foremost you
knowledge and figure out how we can
have to believe in yourself and in your dream.
radically change how we deliver healthcare
The journey took her down many roads,
People definitely thought I was a bit crazy,
to poorer communities – I haven’t got the
from becoming Vice President of the
but I was relentless – I worked incredibly
answers yet, but I have another 2.5 years
United Nations Youth Association of
hard, which I believe is the most important
to go!”
NZ to entering medical school in 2005
ingredient. A lot of successful people will
where she founded Healthex, a research
describe themselves as ‘lucky’ but no one is
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