Operanauts has changed me and my understanding of the world. The awareness campaigns I launched taught me that it was not just about how passionate I was for the cause, but whether I was able to inspire others into action. I could not do all the things I wanted to do without the help of others. I created Operanauts Youth, a group of students that help raise awareness and projects in their schools.
Just as it is possible, although difficult, for life to blossom in the most barren of environments, Operanauts has forged understanding between people in order to help bring peace. The connections made are a small, but a necessary step, to provide the relief, peace and empathy we take for granted. The organization grew from nothing more than the seed of an idea Joy had years ago, but I hope, with time, it will help the Congolese find the commonalities that encourage peaceful resolution. I have learned that common ground, even when based in music, is the most fertile soil in which empathy and friendship grow.
When you figure out what song you want to sing, what way you want to live your life, then that is when you become the person you will be and were destined to be for the rest of your existence.
By Vidhatri Raturi