From prof to entrepreneur

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, May 7

Unexpected and unfortunate incidents are something that we just have to deal with in life no matter what, believes Harvinder Kaur (56), wife of social activist late Prof Lakhbir Singh, who dedicated his life to raise awareness about AIDS and cancer in the region.

I was worried over my sons’ upbringing and not being able to spend time with them, so I left my professor’s job and instead joined a school here close to my residence. I enrolled my sons in the same school to ensure we spend quality time together.Rs Harvinder Kaur, a mother of two who is now an entrepreneuer

She has always been a very optimistic person and looked at every situation with a hope that she could make it work.

Harvinder said she was a professor at a college in Phagwara, when she got married in 1992. “I continued with my job even after 10 years of my marriage and giving birth to my two sons. But yes, like every working mother, I, too, had problems in maintaining a work-life balance,” she said.

She said at times, she thought of quitting the job, but then she realised it won’t be a wise decision.

“I was worried over my sons’ upbringing and not being able to spend time with them, so I left my professor’s job and instead joined a school here close to my residence,” she said, adding that she also enrolled her sons in the same school to ensure they spend quality time together.

“Everything was going on smoothly till 2006, we were living the best time of our lives and making plans for our future. But destiny had its own plans,” she said, adding that her life completely changed thereafter as her husband was then diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Harvinder said she was left shattered.

“My elder son was 14 then, while the younger one was 9-years-old. Once again a moment came where I had to choose between my work and family. My husband was undergoing cancer treatment, so I left my job and decided to help him in his social work,” she said, adding that her husband had a very strong willpower, despite undergoing all radiotherapies and chemotherapies, he continued with his social work till his very last breath.

“Besides, it was with his support and confidence that I turned into an entrepreneur at the age of 44. He asked me to open my own school, so that I can continue with my passion of teaching and manage the home and kids alongside,” she said.

“When I opened the school, it started with just two classes — pre nursery and Class I, but now, it is up to Class X and has over 400 students,” she said.

Harvinder said her husband passed away last year in 2021 after battling cancer for over 15 years. “But he was and he will always be an inspiration for all as he has taught us not to get bogged down with setbacks,” she said.

Sharing about her life as entrepreneur-cum-single mother, Harvinder said: “Being a single mother is a very daunting, yet blissful experience since she has to give the best of both parents to her children.

“At times, it gets all the more difficult, as I have to run my enterprise and manage the NGO works too. But with the support of both my sons, who are doing well in their career, and the path shown by my husband, I am able to manage everything,” she said. She said like her husband, she has been organising blood donation activities, awareness seminars on AIDS and cancer, tree plantation drives, distribution of free books, stationery and uniforms for the needy schoolchildren. Besides, she hopes to take her school and the NGO to new heights.