With a few thin strips of coloured chart papers, a needle, glittering crystals and a glue stick, a simple plain card can turn into an attractive showpiece or greeting card or a basket among many other interesting pieces.
For the children of SOS Village, who were taught the nuances of quilling artwork, the Sunday afternoon proved to be surprisingly exciting. Bringing a smile on their faces in varied ways are the members of Oneness Organisation, an establishment with likeminded youngsters making a difference by contributing ‘just a rupee per day’. With every team member contributing Rs. 30 per month, the organisation conducts multiple campaigns for uplift of the weaker sections.
It was initiated by Kundan Karunakar, president of the organisation. On what made him form the group , he says, “Long time ago, when I met a little boy, who was financially hard pressed, requested his father to buy a bicycle as Christmas present. He waited for days and months in vain. That’s when I along with a few of my friends pooled considerable amount and brought him the bicycle. The boy’s happiness and excitement changed our outlook towards life. We decided to serve the needy through an educational drive since then.”
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Soon, there was a melange of ideas from likeminded students who joined hands to organise games, motivational classes and a host of other initiatives for the less fortunate children. “Initially, we started off with a group of 16 students in 2008. Now, Oneness has more than 1,500 people designing diverse projects from various colleges across the State,” Pavan, a student of Gayatri College of Management, says.
Spending time with the elderly people by visiting old-age homes, initiating bridge schools for the child prisoners at Child Rehabilitation Centre, conducting art classes and personality development classes at government schools in rural areas apart from the city are a few of the other projects that the wide network of students focus on. How do they strike a balance between studies and projects? “Managing time is never a constraint as our holidays and weekends are more than enough to meet the requirement. And yes, except during the exams,” says Gayatri, a team member.
Some of the students feel that the service provides an opportunity to nurture their skills. Monica, a degree student, says, “A few years back, I was an introvert. But, interacting with the public and taking up classes made me improve my personality as well. The network helped me share ideas and enhance leadership qualities.”
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