International Volunteer Day

Volunteering For A Cause

‘The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others’ so said the Father of the Nation, Shri Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. On the occasion of International Volunteer Day, CRY shares experiences of some of their volunteers who seem to have taken Gandhiji’s words to heart and are doing a wonderful job of it too.

Eversince Mumbai hopped back to the new normal with schools being reopened after a gap of two long years, CRY’s own set of volunteers have been back in action taking office offline teaching classes for children belonging to marginalized communities.

Volunteerism has been the backbone of CRY for decades and the organization has been fortunate to have been blessed with many dedicated volunteers not only from different ages and background but also from vast fields as well.  In areas where access to education has been a constraint, CRY volunteers have pitched in to fill that gap and have done a marvelous job of it.

During the lockdown, a large number of students also taught children from CRY projects online mentoring them and helping them beat the lockdown blues, while at the same time preparing them for the time when the school reopens again.  

For instance, when students of the Dhanaji Devashi Municipal School (DDMS) in Rajawadi Ghatkopar  came back to their classrooms this year and we soon faced with lack of sufficient teachers to teach them, since many had left during the lockdown period, it were CRY volunteers who came to the ‘rescue.’

Since the Principal of DDMS was eager that the education of the children should not be hampered in anyway possible and shared this concern with CRY, we roped in our most reliable group of volunteers, the young students of Garodia International Center for Learning Mumbai (GICLM). The latter have been associated with CRY for last three years under our initiative ‘Children for Children’ where students participate in various CRY related activities like fundraising,  awareness campaigns etc and give their very best in creating an impact in the lives of their underprivileged counterparts.  Stepping in the shoes of the teachers themselves, some 18 odd students from Class 11 and 12 made a difference in the lives of children from DDMS actively teaching children form Classes 1 to 5 since August this year.

Sreya Warrier was one such volunteer who was part of this initiative. She describes the experience as, “It is our responsibility to give back to the community. It not only helps us as individuals as we learn life lessons and improve upon ourselves but it helps people in need.”

Principal Nitin Vitthal Bargaje of DDMS says that the students of GICLM were a great help to his students in the period when they were ourselves short of teachers. “Being children themselves, they were able to catch the vibe of my children accurately and help them in strengthening their foundation. It is wonderful to see such young students, balancing their own studies and volunteering for a good cause.”

Another volunteer Ashel D’souza cites that being a teacher for the kids meant a great deal of responsibility, “We are always surrounded by our teachers that we look up to so in this situation we were ourselves in that role. We made sure that we presented ourselves in a way that would inspire confidence in them.”

The volunteers not only taught them to grasp concepts in subjects of English and Math but they also made learning more fun by including ice breakers and games as incentives to learning. All in all, this children for children initiative was a win-win situation for everyone.

Like Mumbai, in Pune too the pandemic hit the girls hard in the Child Care Institution for underprivileged girls, Bahujan Hitay in Vishrantwadi area. Many were worried of even passing their board exams. Doubts needed to be cleared, and revision of lessons had to be taken. As a volunteer, 21-year-old Akansha Shinde, B.Sc graduate who volunteers as a part of the Vishrantwadi Public Action Group (PAG). Diligently took up the responsibility of teaching the students via online classes.

A UPSC aspirant, she wishes to bring a change in the way education is viewed by the general population and cease the issue of students who drop out of government schools.   Regarding the importance of volunteering, Akansha thinks it is one of the fundamentals of upholding the unfortunate in the society. “Volunteering is nothing short of demanding hence one must be selfless and compassionate while approaching the tasks. The feeling of satisfaction obtained from helping is euphoric.”

Agrees Anuradha Mishra, B.A LLB student from Hadapsur, Pune who too has been volunteering with CRY since June 2020.   She describes her experience with CRY as an amazing journey which has helped her build her personality as well as her leadership skills.

“Volunteering is a necessary element that one has to give themselves to. It helps change one’s view of society, makes one aware of their privileges and most importantly aids in the upliftment of the nation’s future-- the children,” she says.

Note to the Editor: CRY - Child Rights and You is an Indian NGO that believes in every child’s right to a childhood - to live, learn, grow and play. For over 4 decades, CRY and its 850 initiatives have worked with parents and communities to ensure Lasting Change in the lives of more than 3,000,000 underprivileged children, across 19 states in India. For more information please visit us at www.cry.org.

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