(Don Bosco Junior College, Pune) – To bring awareness among students on the harsh realities of life and encourage them to do their small part to lessen social inequalities in the neighbourhood, the staff and students of Don Bosco Junior College Yerwada, Pune, in association with the NGO Being Volunteer, took part in the “Feed the Needy and Education for All Drive” on July 22.
Talented in culinary art, 19 students of DBC Pune gathered at the Being Volunteer office to work together on the Feed the Needy project with the help of Mr Leo D’Souza, Ms Pearl Fernandes and three other volunteers.
The staff and members of the Being Volunteer team divided the students into four groups, each with a specific task to complete. One group canvassed nearby communities to gather 116 kg of old newspapers and magazines. They then sorted and sold them to raise money to purchase school supplies for homeless children.
The second group of students set up the kitchen, cleaned the utensils, sorted the grains, vegetables, and spices, and prepared the ingredients for a nutritious lunch. The third group of students showed off their culinary skills as they cooked a wholesome and delicious khichdi under the guidance of teachers and volunteers. Along with volunteers and staff, the fourth group distributed the 115 food packets to residents and children in nearby slums and construction sites in Baner, Pune.
A student, Ms Saroj Bagdi, said, “When we went around the apartments, collecting old newspapers and magazines, some people were generous, while a few looked at us with contempt and were unwilling to lend a helping hand.”
Ms Riddhi Dalvi shared: “I felt shy at first to distribute the food packets, but looking at small innocent faces and senior citizens, I realised my responsibility towards them, and I pledge to carry out these small acts of kindness in the future.”
The activity has inspired the faculty and students to offer small acts of kindness in the community as part of their daily lives. The staff and students thanked Being Volunteer for allowing them to provide limited but loving assistance to the less fortunate. Being Volunteer aims to create a nation where the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ of society work together to build a beautiful world. It also aims to foster a culture of volunteerism in which individual volunteers serve as positive change agents.
Ms Pearl Fernandes
Source: ANS – “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana”