An enthusiastic volunteer explains what he envisages as a ‘dream school’-complete with airy classrooms, playground, library, activity room, kitchen and more importantly, restrooms. Why restrooms rather than a computer lab one may ask, but that would be irrelevant in a school where students are instructed to relieve themselves outside the school premises. Shocking but quite common just on the outskirts of our city confides Surya, a student who spends his weekends teaching towards fulfilling the mission of Vanguards, a Non Profit Organisation (NPO) enriching lives through education.
Likewise, 111 NPOs each working for women empowerment, child welfare, differently-abled, environment and health awareness participated at this year’s SevaMela. While visitors were going around the mela, some were converted into donors on being convinced of a cause or feeling instant empathy with one. Donations were given in cash, books, clothing and food grains. The Rice Bucket Challenge encouraged a whopping donation of six tons of rice to NPOs of the donors choice with the employees of ADP alone contributing more than 50 percent of the collection.
While visitors heard out the enthusiastic Hyderabad Vegans on the merits of adopting a ‘green lifestyle’, Samskrita Bharati was canvassing for popularising Sanskrit. Society to Save Rocks and Greenpeace were drawing attention to the environmental calamities happening around us. A few others were drawn to The Ability People spreading awareness on Road Safety and Rehabilitation of Spinal Cord Injured Persons (SCIP), the director himself a victim of SCI and mobile by means of a wheel chair, travelled from Vizag hoping to inspire the citizens of Hyderabad on the crucial need to comply with traffic regulations. Sweet Souls, started by an 18-year-old was educating people on Type 1 Diabetes.
Hearing impaired, destitute, counselling for the mentally disturbed, social entrepreneurship education, old age homes — the list goes on.
SevaMela held annually during the Daan Utsav or Joy of Giving Week was coordinated by United Care Development Services (UC). “It was encouraging to see visitors make generous donations at the mela, details of which are available on our website,” says P.S. Gunaranjan, Founder, UC.
You don’t have to wait until the next Daan Utsav to donate in cash, kind or time. When you give, others gain and every contribution helps replace a tear with a smile.
