A NEW VISION FOR SOLVING COMPLEX SOCIAL ISSUES

By SHAGORIKA EASWAR

 Bhavana Varma was still getting used to life as a freshly-minted Order of Ontario appointee at the time of this interview.

“It’s all a bit overwhelming,” she said, of receiving the province’s highest honour. “What is my name doing there among all those other names?’ I’m just doing my job! I do it well, but still...!”

Varma was recognized for bringing a new vision to solving complex social issues as President and CEO of United Way of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox, and Addington.

To address homelessness and challenges facing youth, she broke down silos, connecting the right people who could effect change.

She tackled youth homelessness. Many people aren’t aware of the extent of the problem, she says, of just how many young people are on the streets, driven there by family conflict, addictions or mental health issues. Gathering ideas from the youth themselves, she brought in family mediation workers to help prevent homelessness. And started awareness campaigns to encourage students to stay in school, access mediation, and if that fails, to find safe spaces. Programs and supports were put in place for LGBTQ+ youth.

Varma started a food redistribution warehouse to help feed people during the pandemic.

“It breaks my heart that people go hungry in a country like Canada,” she says.

“This was exacerbated during the pandemic. We connected with farmers and grocers, buying in bulk, collecting food that might go waste. Volunteers packed boxes for seniors and families who were skipping meals because they had to pay the rent. We had a mobile van provide medical services in rural areas.”

The agency boasts 2000-plus volunteers with a core group of between 60 and 100 that she worked with on a regular basis.

They funded over 50 programs, 70 in some years, based on the need and the number of applications, helping between 50,000 to 70,0000 people a year live with hope, dignity and a sense of belonging.

Programs and initiatives require funding, and Varma attracted significant new sources of revenue in support of critical human-service programs. In her 24 years of stewardship, the organization has become one of Canada’s top charitable groups, growing from raising $1.4 million a year to close to $4 million a year.

“I love planning and creating systems and we never once missed our goal,” she says, her pride in the achievement evident. “But it wasn’t hard. If you help people understand the issues and provide a transparent, trusted framework, you attract committed volunteers. We tapped into their passion for making a difference. Volunteers have a say in which agencies are funded – they bring in the money, they help decide where it goes.

“We brought in the mayor, the principal of Queens, the head of Dupont and other community and industry leaders into what we call our cabinet. With them on board, we attracted others. People want to help and when they see how their donations are having a real impact, they step up.

“We also introduced potential donors to the people who were helped through Seeing is Believing tours and we worked closely with agencies, building trust and relationships.”

Varma is full of praise for United Way’s member agencies. “I can’t say enough about the work they do. They interact with people who are vulnerable, who relapse and come back, and they do so in such a gentle, compassionate manner.”

The need continues to grow, both in complexity and in the number of people who need help.

“Take shelters. We have to make them safe not only for those accessing them but also for the people working there. Many shelters are co-ed and women don’t feel safe there. Most homeless people have some experience of trauma – how do we help them heal?”

Varma traces her wanting to help people back to when she was a child. Born in Lucknow, as the daughter of an air force officer, she recalls moving often as her father was posted across the country.

Cocooned on the base, she says she wasn’t aware of the level of poverty around them. She was around eight when coming out of a movie theatre with her family, she saw a woman with small children, begging for food.

Shocked to see hungry babies, she burst into tears. This was in Mhow, near Indore. We have to do something to help them, she said. Her father said that one can’t possibly help the whole world, but must do what one can, and gave the woman some money.

That incident informs the way Varma approached her role at United Way.

“The need is so vast, but we break it into smaller pieces and do what best we can each day.”

Something her grandfather, who was the dean of the medical school in Lucknow had said to her, also guides her.

“He used to quote from the Bhagvad Gita: Do your duty, don’t look at the outcome. That keeps me sane and grounded when the task seems overwhelming.”

She came to Canada with her husband Rakesh in 1990. The head of a computer science department, he looked back fondly on his days at McMaster University where he had done his Masters. Though she wasn’t keen to move, he said they’d just apply and see what happens.

They landed in Toronto in May and on the drive to Hamilton, Varma was dismayed to see concrete on both sides – nothing like the images of Canada that she had seen, no snowcapped mountains and no saturated green of pristine forests.

Her degree from Lady Sriram College in Delhi and her experience in the hospitality industry at the Taj chain were of no help when she looked for employment.

“People couldn’t pronounce my name. I was rejected without even the courtesy of a response. It was tough and I wasn’t speaking to my husband, I was that upset!”

A friend encouraged her to take up any job and she signed up at a temp agency that sent her to United Way as a typist. Tasked with typing out 500 or so receipts a day, she grumbled about the old typewriter and having to use carbon paper. Then one day, she “got over it” and saw how wonderful it was that they were able to gather people to help others. Varma asked for a permanent position.

There wasn’t one available, she was told. Find one, she said. She was hired as a receptionist, then moved to data entry. From there, director of finance and admin, and then director of fund-raising.

Her husband had planned on enrolling for his third Masters, but Varma was firm that he also get a job and says that while she thanked him only recently for bringing her to Canada, he has always supported her and is a huge reason for her success. As the primary breadwinner, he gave her the space to grow and pursue her passion, even moving to Kingston.

United Way of Kingston was struggling at the time and they were looking for a CEO. Varma was encouraged to apply.

She took on her new role on April 1, 1999.

“I should have realized what was in store for me when they hired me on April Fool’s Day!” she says with an infectious laugh.

Varma stepped down recently, after 32 years with United Way, 24 at the helm. It was time, she says, to think of sustainability and next steps.

“I’d started thinking about the next stage of my life when I turned 60. Then the pandemic hit and I am glad I stayed on to help steer it through the difficult times. But now, I’ve built in succession planning, we have a strong team, I have complete confidence in the board. It’s good to leave at the top!

“Everything that has happened to me is by chance, nothing was planned. My grandfather was also fond of saying whatever happens, happens for good – maybe our initial struggle in Canada was preparing me for this.”

She continues to work with United way at the national level, helping United Way of Canada with their planning. She also helps nonprofits with strategic and operational planning through her consultancy services. As a certified leadership coach, Varma has coached fifteen leaders at no cost. Leadership coaching is big in the private sector, she points out, but many not-for-profit leaders don’t have access to leadership training.

The couple don’t have children. Once, when she shared her anguish with her aunt, she said that perhaps not having biological children of her own allowed Varma to focus on helping countless others.

“That thought brings me solace, that I could dedicate myself to helping other children.”

She shares her experience with those who seek her guidance on how to succeed in Canada.

Most newcomers, specially women of colour, have to work harder and smarter, she says.

“It’s just a fact of life, a part of the journey. I was fortunate in that apart from some micro-aggression from some people, those I worked with really respected me, they allowed me to blossom. Of course, I had to prove myself worthy of their respect first, but the racism I faced was outside of my work.”

She tells newcomers to find their passion and to volunteer.

“Volunteering links you with the community. On a show someone said India is not individualistic, we are a community culture. Use that strength. Volunteering also helps in making connections and they also hire you if you prove yourself.

“You might have to swallow your pride. I had to. I didn’t want to be a typist – I saw myself as ‘manager material’!

“I grew up in a family of boys. I was the only girl and everyone doted on me, even my aunts and uncles. I used to think the sun rose and set with me! Now they call it leadership. In my youth, it used to be called bossy. But I gained confidence in my abilities and that helped me in so many situations in a new country. I was shocked to see how many women deal with IPV here, how many lack confidence in themselves. We have to nurture the next generation to love themselves.”

The woman who describes waking up every day knowing you are helping someone as the best feeling in the world was appointed honorary colonel in Canadian Army by then defence minister Anita Anand.

• Grant’s is proud to present this series about people who are making a difference in the community. Represented by PMA Canada (www.pmacanada.com).