They save their monthly pocket money, hold the purse strings while on a birthday bash and cut their spend on movies, all for a noble cause. The amount thus mobilised is spent on food, education, medical and livelihood needs of the poor.
Starting with 10 youths in Tirupati, Swahastha Organisation has become a major brand identifiable with ‘voluntary activism’. Over 3,500 member-volunteers spread across eight locations in two southern States.
Under the concept of ‘Education for all’, their latest decision is to adopt two primary school children each and meet their educational expenses till the beneficiaries reached the 10th class.
The maiden event got off to a formal launch at Mallamgunta Mandal Parishat Primary School in Tirupati rural on Monday, when 10 members adopted 20 children studying first to fifth class. “This is the first time that we have started this adoption programme, which will be taken to other branches,” said its president G. Sukumar, who is pursuing M.Tech. programme in Sri Venkateswara University.
The other members K. Naveen (vice-president), G. Purushotham Reddy (secretary), B. Srinivasulu (treasurer), Venkatesh, Vishnu Prathik, Mrudula, Kesavulu, V. Mohit Reddy and Vellore Somasekhar Reddy also adopted two students each. Eleven youths comprising the core group launched their operations in 2011, but only in 2014 the registration of the body as a social organisation was done for conducting activities such as medical camp, blood donation, Teach for India, Think Green, Education for All, helping orphans and old-aged persons and for holding political and health awareness meetings.
Swahastha has branch units in Srikalahasti (for Nellore district), Rajampet (Kadapa district), two in Narasaraopet (for Guntur and Prakasam districts) in Andhra Pradesh, besides those at Bengaluru, Koppal and Gulbarga in Karnataka.
Octogenarian sarpanch Badi Munuswamy Yadav appreciated the novel concept and blessed the youths. N. Ramgopal, Ayurvedic Medical Officer at Gudipala who has already conducted medical camps for Swahastha in the past, called the youths’ desire to provide uninterrupted education as the most laudable intervention.
School Principal M. Audisekaran appealed to philanthropists to take the cue and contribute for the school's infrastructure.
