Vaishak’s belief in Rising Star Outreach’s mission is taking him and his 1965 Czech Jawa motorcycle named Trust on a 50-day journey across four countries.
He first learned about Rising Star Outreach from the Marriott resort in Goa, where he worked as an intern back in 2008. The Marriott hotels in India have been very involved in our work, not only supporting us with donations but visiting our campus often with their employees to mentor and inspire our students. He was curious about Marriott’s association with Rising Star Outreach and spent time learning more about our mission to lift and empower individuals affected by leprosy.
His trip includes stops in seventeen cities across India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. He is visiting Marriott hotels along the way, training and workshopping with employees while also educating them about Rising Star Outreach.
Taking his devotion to Rising Star Outreach on the road has been a unique and rewarding experience. There have been times when he has had to take time to fix minor breakdowns along the way, but while most people would feel inconvenienced, Vaishak said, “I don’t consider [minor breakdowns] as a challenge. That’s an opportunity to make the ride more beautiful….all that’s happened is learning and making Trust and me better than we were”.
Vaishak shared that the best part of the trip is the people, total strangers coming and helping him when he felt there was little hope for getting back on the road. He has appreciated the reminder that all people of every caste, color, and religion have hearts that beat the same. Lastly, he has enjoyed his alone time on the road, deepening his connection with nature.
When asked what he would like others to take away from his journey, he said,
