Vandana Mohit, a young and inspiring individual whom I had the pleasure of interviewing, took us down memory lane to where it started and what inspired her.
1. What is your proudest personal achievement in life, and why?
My proudest personal achievement in life is my work/duty. Although I am extremely grateful for my education and the sacrifices of my parents to get me an education, I feel a sense of accomplishment through my work because of the many lives I was able to touch and even transform. I am so focused on my work persons ask me how I feel being the youngest Mayor and now such a young MP and answering that is difficult because I have not yet celebrated those moments since I am always focused on my work. I have lived the experience of “hard work brings great rewards” and nothing for me is more achieving than that of your very own work.
2. Has there been a particular struggle that has defined your life’s journey?
I have struggled quite a lot in life. It is not one of the best discussions for me personally. However, I can tell you I share as much toys as I can because I never had my own doll. I share as much food as I can because I know what its like to be hungry whilst I look at the sadness on my mom’s face when she gets turned away. I help persons to construct homes because I know what its like when the rain is pouring and my parents are running with buckets to “catch” water. I help children because I know what its like to watch my struggling parents grieve silently because they just cannot afford to give me all that they wanted to and the list can go on and on.
Although I have been through many struggles I used my struggles to gauge my success, but I do not dwell on my struggles.
3. What has been your main source of inspiration in your life, or your main source of strength to take on the challenges you have faced?
My main source of inspiration/strength will always be my mother. Damn, she is great at explaining every reason why I shouldn’t quit. She is so good she will listen to people at times who never even knew that she is my mom, then respond by saying you can call her she will help you. She is such a great person.
It’s like people call me a workaholic. When I reflect at night, the only person my values can lead to is my mom. I can only best describe my work ethic and discipline as my mother’s work ethic and discipline.
4. What would you point to as the main turning point in your life?
How fast everything happened in transitioning from Councillor to Mayor to MP within months.
How fast I have had to adapt to different settings, positions, roles and responsibilities and at the same time fit all of these into my personal life.
5. Name one key incident in your life in which you learned your most important life-long lesson.
Since this is ‘Get Personal’ I will let you know. The negative experiences moments after I became the Mayor of Chaguanas taught me some life-long lessons; believing in myself is very important, although I may have felt hurt or depressed, I quickly composed myself and clicked on to the focus and get back onto the journey with the confidence to be successful and keep God as close as I can.
I have also learnt that life in Political Office is an extremely lonely journey so to survive you got to be strong.
6. What are your goals and projects for the next 5 years, personally and professionally?
Success is never ending for me because the world-operations are changing by the minute so I have goals at the beginning of every new year and I assess my success at the end of each year. In the next 5 years I would like my business to be fully established.
Dairy Farming is dear to me, it’s where I have started and I believe it’s what I will most enjoy in retirement although I will still be working during retirement.
Professionally I will like to enhance my education. I enjoy studying though its tiring but it has proven to be of great help in all of my endeavors thus far.
7. During your campaigning for the General Election 2020, you were referred to as the “Home girl”. How did this came about and what is the history if any?
It’s was nothing special in the beginning but after a successful campaign its most special to me.
At my very first meeting with my team, I gave them a full assessment of my opponent and simply explained I am doing nothing but running a “home girl” campaign.
My Team is extremely special, in a matter of hours I heard about 6 “home girl” songs.
I said to myself, its all about simple ideas that can win the hearts of many.
8. Is there any hidden talent or skills that you will like to share with us?
Situational Intelligence.
9. If you had to send a message to young people, what would that message be.
One of the key factors in preventing frustration or failure is ensuring you have balance in your life’s activities. Fight the many battles, but build your own empire. Do not follow the system, do not fall into the system, use the system to create your own type of change, accomplish your goals and fulfill your dreams.
The existing systems never worked for me, its innovation gave me all my needed breakthroughs in life.
Once you work hard, once you are brave enough to take risks and have the strength to go at your goals you will be successful in life.
–Kamla Phagoo