Volunteerism

Volunteerism

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  circle of life © www.natzphotography.info BY RANGASHREE SRINIVAS A little boy with a rescued pup at the Chennai Adoption Drive V olunteering time, effort cycle: Maybe you are a volunteer tutor of the benefits he had derived from and resources for a cause is for someone who cannot read, and it. In 2004, he brought together some intrinsic for the welfare of the just last month the Exnora volunteers like-minded friends and set up an NGO human ecosystem. Often, volunteerism cleaned up your neighbourhood. DreamIndia, to teach under-privileged is mistaken as an act of ‘charity’ Volunteering also includes ‘self-help’. So children. towards a less fortunate person. In if you are active in your neighbourhood fact, when you give yourself to an crime watch, your home gets protected Says Varun, “One Sunday afternoon, effort without expecting any monetary even as you protect your neighbours' we were playing with some wonderful benefit, you get much much more in homes. When you add your effort to children from a nearby slum. This initial terms of personal growth and learning. the work of others, everyone's life tryst led to regular weekend study gets better. sessions with the children. We took THE TRUE MEANING OF them out to various places from time to VOLUNTEERISM YOUR SPIRIT EXPANDS time. Suddenly, the weekends seemed Instead of considering volunteering as You are at the pinnacle of your growth the most important part of the week. something that you do for people who curve when you realize that you want I was earning well at work and was are not as fortunate as yourself, begin to go beyond your own needs to happy; but by doing such activities, I to think of it as an exchange. the needs of the society, the country experienced pure joy. We had a positive and the Earth. Different people have influence on children, we ensured that Consider that most people find different motivations before they did not develop bad habits and themselves in need at some point in they volunteer. that they went to school regularly.” their lives. Today you may be the person with the ability to help, but tomorrow Varun Rangarajan, a software Today DreamIndia has more than 50 you may be the recipient of someone professional, opted for social active volunteers from all walks of life else's volunteered effort. Even now you volunteering because he wanted to volunteering to teach underprivileged might be on both sides of the service give back to society in gratitude, a part children across the country. One of 46 Parent Circle / February 2012
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  them is JamunaRangachari from My daughter and her group of friends Reclaim Our Beaches (ROB) is Mumbai. “Three years ago I was enthusiastically went from door to door a youth-led initiative that aims teaching spoken English to a group of taking pledges for a plastic-free lifestyle. at reclaiming democracy while girls from the slum. I had to discontinue They also sold cloth bags made by empowering youth to take informed this when I moved to another area. rural women, and gave them back the action. They address issues relating However I am still in touch with the proceeds of the sale. This was a win-win to garbage, waste management, girls and am gratified to see them situation for everyone. The children got corporate social responsibility and bloom into confident young adults,” their grades along with a sense of pride consumer ethics. ROB has organized says Jamuna. by being socially productive; the rural cleanup drives, waste audits, women could sell their products without symposiums, music concerts and other Divya Rolla, a Yoga teacher says, “I any intermediaries; and the buyers of related activities. Find them at: was looking for an avenue to teach the bags could purchase good quality www.letsrob.org Yoga to people who really needed it. cloth bags at a very reasonable price at I got the chance through the NGO, their door step. Nalandaway, and I started teaching Yoga to the young girls at the Kilpauk CITIZEN VOLUNTEER GROUPS Juvenile Centre for Girls in Chennai. My Greenagers from IIT, Roorkee is an Why Volunteer? experience has been very satisfying; I association of young, green minds who Some of the reasons people have teach, but I feel that I have much more are reaching out to other youngsters to want to volunteer: to learn from those I teach.” through social media networks. They have a slew of creative projects, like To chase a passion Divya also volunteers with Chennai making people ‘Green Magnets’ who to share a skill Volunteers, an agency that acts will practice and motivate others in the to keep busy as a bridge between NGOs and greening/cleaning of their immediate for recognition individuals looking for opportunities environment; the ‘Green da Cafe’ drives to help someone to volunteer. Several people with where green practices are introduced to learn something new varying skill sets have signed up with (eg: using eco-friendly plates and to get to know a community Chennai Volunteers. There are various disposal of waste mechanisms); trips to to demonstrate commitment to requirements - from teaching Yoga to green spots and industries near their a cause/belief painting walls at an orphanage - for campus. Find Greenagers on Facebook. to gain leadership skills which the volunteers can devote as to do your civic duty little as an hour a week. Chennai Adoption Drive is a group of to gain satisfaction from passionate people working to increase accomplishment VOLUNTEERING BY STUDENTS public awareness about Indian strays. freedom from routine schedules The recent reforms in Indian education With an aim to reduce the stray dog to be challenged with the introduction of CCE, has population, they organize monthly to make new friends made social work an essential part of adoption drives for Indian puppies and to explore a career school curriculum. “This augurs well for educate the public about animal birth as a therapy children, as they would grow up to be control. The members of this group are for fun! more balanced and sensitive as adults,” animal lovers who rescue strays and for religious reasons says Divya. abandoned pups, nursing them till they to earn academic credit are fit for adoption. Find them to keep skills alive Says Malathi Rao, on Facebook. to build your resume mother of Shreya Rao to be an agent of change (a class IX student Chennai Volunteers is an online because of personal experience from Bengaluru), “My platform to connect volunteers to with a problem, illness daughter’s school, Sri NGOs. Find them on facebook to find to stand up and be counted Kumaran Children’s the best-suited volunteering activity at upon Home, has integrated the Duke of a convenient time and location, for you Edinburgh Award scheme in their CCE. and your friends. www.parentcircle.in 47