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Friday, October 24, 2008

Laxmeesha Shares his volunteering experience

Since last year I have begun to gradually warm up to my role as a volunteer. The first couple of years, I used to go about the volunteer tasks mechanically and without any personal involvement. But since I began visiting MJ HSR for the BJ program, things began to change. Hema from MJ HSR used to say that children tend to remember volunteers and they will repay every act of ours by inculcating the same in their lives as they grow up. In other words, we end up becoming role models for them and in future they will also contribute to the betterment of the society through volunteerism or any other activity or by simply remaining humble. After this discussion, I realised that a volunteer's role is more responsible than I had envisaged and then all my experiences became more satisfying.

When we were working on the BJ project, I had shown the documentary 'An inconvenient truth' to the children. There was an example in it about frogs and boiling water. We never paid attention to this when we were preparing for the project, but a good 2 months later when we presented our project to Janaagraha, I was taken aback when Vishwa Dewan used this example to answer a question posed by Janaagraha and after that I have stopped underestimating anyone :). These children have everything but opportunities. And organisations like Dream a Dream, Makkala Jagriti, Adventurers, Ananya, Vishwaas etc. should be thanked not only for providing these children with the opportunities but also for creating avenues for people like me to volunteer and grow.

Closer interaction with these organisations shows that a lot of effort has gone into sustaining and growing them. As an entrepruener, I know the amount of effort involved in this. But the challenges faced by NGOs, especially from society, is far higher. There were several incidents that Nomito narrated to me at Honnemarudu regarding family as well as society. To keep going, even in the face of such adversity, needs fierce passion and seeing that in all these organisations is very inspiring.

For an outsider, NGOs are viewed with cynicism. I used to be one even after I had joined DaD and I was not sure if the programs make any difference to the chidren. But I have changed and I can see myself as being a part of the change that our society needs. 2 years back, going to Bosco for the BJ sessions used to be a big effort, but now I wait for thursdays and saturdays to visit Ananya and MJ!

Cheers, Laxmeesha Acharya

"The world of nature and the world of man are inter-related. Man cannot escape from that. When he destroys nature, he is destroying himself. When he kills another, he is killing himself. The enemy is not the other but you. To live in such harmony with nature, with the world, naturally brings about a different world" ~ J Krishnamurti