A Moment of Recognition: Meeting His Excellency, Ashish Kumar Sinha
Some moments feel like validation that you're on exactly the right path.
For us, that moment came when we received an invitation from the Indian Embassy of Estonia to meet with His Excellency Ashish Kumar Sinha, the new Ambassador of India to Estonia.
For an organization that's only six months old, this felt like a monumental milestone.
Walking into the Embassy, we carried with us not just our individual stories, but the collective dream that had started over chai just months earlier. Here we were, women from different professional backgrounds, different cities, different experiences, united by a shared vision of building bridges between our communities.
The Ambassador welcomed us warmly, genuinely interested in understanding how IEWS came to be. But what truly touched us was how he took the time to learn about each of us individually, our backgrounds, our journeys to Estonia and India respectively, and most importantly, why we believed in IEWS.
He didn't rush through introductions or treat us as a collective; he saw each member, heard each story, and understood each passion that brought us to that table. In that room, we felt truly heard and seen.
We talked about our chai session that sparked everything, our International Women's Day celebration that brought two cities together, and our Jaanipäev adventure that proved traditions become richer when shared.
What struck us most was His Excellency's understanding of what we're trying to achieve.
This isn't just about hosting events, it's about creating spaces where women can learn from each other's cultures and traditions, where Estonian and Indian heritages don't just coexist but genuinely integrate and enrich one another.
His support was both encouraging and energizing. To have the Indian Embassy recognize our grassroots efforts after just six months feels like affirmation that what started as a small dream is growing into something meaningful for both communities.
We left that meeting not just as volunteers passionate about a cause, but as partners in a larger mission of cultural integration and women's empowerment. His Excellency expressed enthusiasm about working together on future initiatives, and we couldn't be more excited about the possibilities ahead.
This recognition reminds us why we started IEWS in the first place: because when women come together with open hearts and shared purpose, we can create change that matters. With the support of the Indian Embassy, we're ready to take our mission even further, continuing to build those precious bonds of sõprus that connect Estonia and India, one event, one conversation, one friendship at a time.
