Topics:
Annual Events:
Fees:
*Fees are a guide only. Exact cost will be dependent on requirements and are subject to change.
Raj Adgopul
Raj Adgopul is an Inspirational Speaker who continues to develop his own personal journey and uses his experiences to help others to inspire others. His speech titles include 'Slum Survivor' and 'Re-imagine the Impossible Everyday'.
About Raj Adgopul
Raj Adgopul started his working career in Mumbai, where he was living in a room shared with 23 other people in a railway quarter. For four years all his belongings fitted into a plastic bag: a toothbrush and some toothpaste, one spare set of clothes and one pair of shoes.
Raj Adgopul was born in a village of Central India, raised by people slightly better than animals. His father killed himself by alcohol intoxication when he was 2yrs old. His mother killed herself with an insulin overdose in 2018.
He was raised by his mother and a stepfather and suffered physical, emotional, sexual abuse and was neglected most of his childhood and teenage years. Due to the preverbal years neglect and abuse he suffered growing up he developed mental health issues. He was formally diagnosed by a Psychiatrist with traits of Emotionally Unstable Personality, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Despite the many setbacks Raj managed to get out of his village, completed his nursing training and lived in Mumbai for 4yrs. For those 4yrs he lived in a room with 23 other people with his personal space of just 6feet by 3feet. The years in Mumbai set him up for life and helped him achieve a mindset of unshakeable resilience.
Raj arrived in England in 2002 with £5 in pocket but went onto complete a degree and postgraduate in early years child Psychology, start a family and more recently, through his desire to share his learnings, work his way up to the O2 stage in London where he gave his Tedx Talk in front of 1000+ audience.
Slum Survivor
If you survive long enough in the slums of Mumbai to tell your story you learn how to milk a bull! Interested?
Find out what kind of mindset you need to develop in order to survive, like a cockroach, in the slums of Bombay, you learn to thrive on your misfortunes, that’s the secret.
Key Takeaways:
1. New perceptions on life challenges.
2. Recognise that motivation is a result of mindset.
3. Inspirational Indian quotes.
Re-imagine the Impossible Everyday
Life is cheap in Mumbai, a million people live in a square mile, average life expectancy is about 65yrs and over 4,000 people die every year falling off local trains. The main aim when you leave home in the morning is to come back alive in the evening. Bombay, a land of opportunities, but so hopeless that the only thing that keeps you going is hope. Find out how to keep going no matters what life throws at you.
Key Takeaways:
1. Everyday gratitude.
2. A different way of looking at the world.
3. Key messages from the slums with added souvenir!
Village Life: England and India Compared
Taking a humorous look at the differences and challenges of village life in two hugely different countries. Understand what the English say and what they mean. Learn how to greet your neighbours, what to do about other people’s children, and what to expect at village celebrations!
Key Takeaways:
1. How wonderful and weird the English people are!
2. The hilarity of humanity (learning to laugh at oneself)
3. How beautifully diverse our world is.
An Immigrant’s Experience of England
What is it like to arrive in a new country for the first time? When you don’t know why your bathroom doesn’t have a bucket in it, what a lunch box is, or why dogs seem to have all the fun…
Key Takeaways:
1. A different view on English customs.
2. Keep it simple!
3. English and Indian unspoken social etiquettes and rules of engagements.
4. English culture is an enigma!
Appreciation Redefined
Raj redefines appreciation in his funny and endearing talk which contrasts life in the hustle and bustle of Mumbai compared to rural Dorset. Sharing a collection of his personal stories and experiences – from losing friends on Mumbai’s railways, to becoming a nurse, to adapting to the very different ways of communicating with colleagues and patients in the UK.
Key Takeaways:
1. Realise that you cannot feel bad and appreciate at the same time.
2. Tips for daily gratitude practice.
3. Some unusual things to appreciate from daily living.
Raj Adgopul Videos
Testimonials
"Raj is a very engaging speaker that inspired some very positive feedback from our students. His life story is very different from the majority (probably all) of young people in Dorset and he brings a huge amount of positive energy to the stage. He is very easy to work with and is able to adapt to the audience as he reads them."
Director of Social Enterprise, Budmouth College, Weymouth, England, United Kingdom
"Raj is an excellent presenter. With over 80 Women’s Institute ladies at a meeting, Raj managed to keep the attention of the whole room. Raj spoke passionately and informative about ‘England and Indian Villages, the difference’. Raj spoke caringly about his personal experiences and how he and his family had been effected by situations. We had tears of laughter as well as tears of sadness. Raj’s inspirational 45 minute speech left us all questioning our own “first world problems” and thoughts. We would definitely have Raj come again to speak to us."
Taunton Deane Divas Women’s Institute
"The topics covered by Raj are superbly balanced between gentle humour and the ability to provoke deeper thought amongst your audience. A rare gift. The members of Bristol Commonwealth Society are still enthusing about Raj’s talk and how delighted they were to welcome Raj back “by popular demand."
Bristol Commonwealth Society
