“We
make a living by what we get,
But
we make a life by what we give…”
I
had always dreamt of being a social entrepreneur. If only intentions were
enough to bring about change! But if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
Here, at NSS, IIT Bombay, I had the opportunity to not just go – but to ‘grow’
a leap closer towards my dream. When good intentions get the right platform, it
leads to fantabulous results.
The last one
year at NSS as an activity associate has been highly fulfilling- but more than that
it has been highly motivating. I got to interact with many like-minded,
enthusiastic colleagues, as well as juniors. It was a great platform to make my
contribution to the society, to give my shot at changing the world, making it a
better place.
The
best part about this experience was the ideation of the activities- where we
(all the AAs), along with the Department heads brainstormed about different
activities that could be conducted. It was a great learning experience and taught me to analyse any situation from
various point of views and devise a creative solution suitable to the
situation. It also taught me to think out of the box and was a great
opportunity to hone my managerial skills and creativity.
We conducted
many activities like -The Cloth Collection Campaign, The Buddy Project, The
Health Camp, various NGO visits – to name a few. The Cloth Collection Campaign
received overwhelming response in both the phases- from students as well as the
professors. We gave away these clothes to the NGOs. The Buddy Program taught
the students to acknowledge the credit of the invisible helping hands of the
institute- the mess workers, sweepers, construction workers, etc.- in making
their life so much simpler and convenient. One of the favourite activities
among the volunteers was Poster Making before Holi and the NGO visit – which
discovered many artists in the disguise of IITians.
The most
enjoyable activity of my tenure, however, was the Republic Day skit. We had
loads of fun with the volunteers. The skit addressed the social issue – that every
child has unique gifts and talents. After the skit we celebrated. This was one
of the last activities of my tenure as an AA. And a memorable experience it
was!
I look forward
to expanding NSS Events, giving it a new direction and making my contribution
as Dept. Head of NSS-Events, IIT BOMBAY.
