After losing a parent, this 22-year-old became an 'amma' to young girls just like her

“In a world where we run behind money, your time matters the most”

For most of us, our twenties are a chaotic adventure, where debauchery is rampant, emotions run high, and every minor inconvenience feels like the end of the world. But, unlike her peers, 22-year-old Shalini Robert has chosen a different path. After facing a horrifying tragedy in February 2022, she did the unthinkable. Instead of being consumed by anger and bitterness, she opened her arms and heart to the world, eager to ensure that nobody would feel as alone as she once did.

How it all began

Shalini Robert was 19 years old when her father tragically passed away in a car accident. She recalls sitting beside him and watching helplessly as his body turned cold. The hours that ensued were a nightmare—a testament, perhaps, to the worst of humanity. “I was standing on the road and crying for nearly an hour, but nobody came up to me to ask if I was okay,” she recounts. “They just didn’t seem concerned.” Instead, bystanders fished for their phones and started recording videos of her in her most vulnerable state. “The entire ordeal left a huge impact on me,” she admits.

At the time of the accident, Shalini was working in a digital marketing company, and she started playing with the idea of using her Instagram account as a tool for social change in 2023. “I was thinking about how cruel the world had been to me. I should have hated the world for what happened to me. But hate isn’t the answer,” she says earnestly. “Instead, I decided to show people how to love. So, that day, I started posting stories about people and how I connect with them,” she says.

Her work started getting recognition when her Instagram reel went viral in January 2024. Shalini was celebrating Pongal in Besant Nagar, Chennai with people who resided on the road. She had lovingly prepared sweet pongal and distributed it to them with warm hugs and big smiles.

And so began a journey that would earn her 189,000 followers on Instagram, a tight-knit community of people whose lives she has transformed, and a place where she, too—with her own grief and trauma—could begin to heal. “I have created a family where people feel safe, where they have somebody to listen to their stories,” she says.

One glance at her Instagram page and you’ll see Shalini laughing jovially, arms slung around two young girls who gaze up at her fondly; a dadi cupping her face and kissing her cheek; a foot artist cutting a birthday cake she brought along to surprise him. Her message is simple: “I’m using my social media platform to show people that we all need a shoulder to rest on, we all need somebody who listens to us, (here’s how you can be a better listener, too), and slowly, we can turn pain into love. I’m trying to be that person. In a world where we run behind money, your time matters the most.”

The lives she’s changed

Initially, Shalini went around Chennai and spoke to people who resided on the road. Over time, as Shalini paid more visits, the word spread, and more people found out about her altruism.

For the most part, Shalini’s work is focused on helping girls pursue an education. These girls are often in need of emotional or financial help and reach out to her through Instagram DMs and email. When someone asks for financial aid, she spends time researching their family’s background and talking to each family member before finding a sponsor for their education.

But, her help isn’t merely financial—she also offers emotional support and guides the students throughout their college lives. “I’m the elder sister they always needed and I help them in the most loving way,” she says. “In fact, I often deal with girls who’ve lost their moms, and they call me amma.” Sometimes, though, the requests are smaller.

One girl, for instance, emailed her with a request to buy an Accountancy textbook, and soon, began to confide in Shalini about her personal struggles. “Till date, I haven’t helped that girl financially. But she still calls me amma and says she’s alive today just because I spoke to her.”

She shares another instance of a girl—who’d lost her mother at the age of 5—who always kept aside the first piece of cake for her deceased mother. But, while cutting a cake with Shalini, she said, “After 15 years, I’m giving the first piece to you, amma”. Later, when she asked the girl why she called her amma, she replied, ‘Because only a mother can give selfless love and I feel it with you’.” It’s perhaps experiences like these that inspire Shalini Robert to keep going, even on days when it feels like all hope is lost.

On August 16, 2024—her father’s birthday—she started an NGO, The Roberts Trust Foundation. Through this organisation, she sends food provisions to households, raises funds to support their basic needs, like auto rickshaw fares, and in cases where people have lost their family’s breadwinner, even provides a monthly allowance to cover their expenses.

Initially, Shalini would fund her altruism by herself, dipping into her savings from time to time. But, as her account grew and garnered a huge following, she started receiving donations from a few regular donors on Instagram. Now, she also does paid collaborations with brands to raise funds for her work. In the future, the 22-year-old hopes to build a home where anyone who wants to feel safe and loved is welcome. “I’ve already built a home in my heart,” she laughs. “But I want to build an actual building, too”.

Battling her own demons

While Shalini Robert’s jovial demeanour and infectious smile don’t betray her lingering grief, there’s no doubt that it still makes its way into every part of her life. Three years later, she admits that there are still days where melancholy creeps in and knocks at her door. “My dad’s blood-stained shirt was right in front of me, so even when I close my eyes at night, I still see it,” she admits.

It goes without saying, then, that helping the people around her, especially when they’ve also lost a parent, can often hit too close to home. “A loss is still a loss, right? You cannot forget that,” she says. “You have to carry that pain throughout. But, if you have a good heart, you can convert the pain into love,” she adds.