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About us
Agatsu is a section 8 - Not for profit company incorporated in March 2021. Our area of focus is Mental Health and Wellbeing - mental health is more than just mental disorders.
Agatsu means ‘Self-Victory’. We believe self-victory is when one is most content with life and themselves.; and the path to said ‘Agatsu’ is when one is truly in-tune with themselves, and their choices reflect their individual beliefs: this is what it means to find one’s equilibrium.
Everything in life is about balance and each person’s balance looks different. It is the pull and push, the taking control and letting go of - where specific variables in the individual’s life and situation play a huge role. It is a journey. Why embark on it? For a better day to day life, for a better here and now, whatever that may mean for each individual.
It’s also a choice - To take your mental health not seriously but sincerely. Make it a part of your life. To that effect, Agatsu is a life-integration initiative to find equilibrium both within ourselves and with the world around us. We would like to expose those interested to our philosophy and make accessible the knowledge and skills we have acquired to aid their process of finding their own individual balance.
We plan to achieve our goals through our Community Centre. Running 5 days a week, with various activities (from kathak, capoeira and expressive arts to open mic nights), all free of cost. Our community centre sees people from 12 to 85 years of age (though we have no upper limit)! We also have a clinic that offers therapy at a subsidized rate.
We passionately believe in a holistic, non-judgemental, empathetic and preventative approach towards mental health.
Meet the Team
Ashok Shibe
While Ashok’s calculations always add up perfectly, he makes sure to go the extra mile and also multiply the joy in the rooms that he enters. In the cold world of Accounts, he is an agent of warmth and approachability. His experiences seem to have taught him that investing in money will never be as rewarding as investing in people.
Ira Khan
Ira Khan is the founder and CEO of Agatsu. The kindness of her heart is rivaled only by the fire of her spirit. As a child she dreamed of defeating humanity’s enemies with the help of an army of animals. Now–older and wiser–she recognizes that human beings themselves are humanity’s greatest enemies when they are busying themselves not being its champions. Agatsu is her invitation to everyone to confront the unknown within and find their own truth.
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Pritam is an inexhaustible source of warmth and light. She is the beating heart of Agatsu, and a role-model for how to live in harmony with the passage of time. In her presence, the chaos of uncertainty tends to mellow down. Pritam is basically a bonfire of a human in whose spirit anyone can take comfort. Don't believe me. But you'll see. And I told you so.
Coming from a multiplicity of professions and her lived experience, if there is one thing Neeta cannot seem to learn, it is how to NOT be enterprising. The twists and turns of her many experiences have brought her spirit in perfect convergence with the goals of Agatsu, where Neeta officially handles Brand & Communication. Having said that, she has the attitude of someone who is ready to mould herself to fit the many shapes of Agatsu-ey necessity.
Pritam Shikhare
Neeta Borkar
Smritee has a personality that never fails to MISHTYfy. To start with, having studied and practiced Architecture, she is well versed with giving form to ideas and structure to chaos. She takes herself seriously enough to stand by and speak up for what she believes in. But also, lightly enough that a joke is always within reach in her company. As such it is hard to remain on guard for very long in her presence, and nearly impossible to not feel listened-to in her general vicinity.
Shimon has a strong sense of curiosity that she follows mercilessly – much to the dismay of everyone else in her life who would much rather have her walk the well-documented beaten-path. Her curiosity led her to the doors of Psychology (the Industrial and Organizational kind) through which she promptly entered, only to discover that she had lost her heart to the world of possibility that awaited beyond them.
Smritee Paul
Shimon Chadha
Samuel, better known as Sam, is the textbook definition of a gentle giant. Although he is young, several of his experiences have shaped him to become the caring soul that he is today. No task is too small and his ready-ness to take on responsibility and be a part of the community, in big ways and small, brings together the essence of the Centre and what we do.
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Adopted into our workplace family, Maui isn't just a feline companion; he's an integral part of our daily routine. Whether he's curled up on the sunny balcony or playfully rolling around on the carpet, Maui reminds us to pause, take a breath, and appreciate the simple joys in life. Maui isn't just an office cat – he's a cherished member of our team, a source of comfort, companionship and a constant reminder of the beauty of simplicity and the power of love.
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