Day to celebrate volunteers, motivate others

For Venkat Ravi and his group of friends from engineering colleges across the city, this year will mark their first foray into volunteering. “We are all friends from schools and surfing enthusiasts, all passionate about making the world a better place for animals. Of late, we have constantly been hearing how marine life is being affected by plastic and other waste dumped on the beach and into the waters. So, this International Volunteer Day, around 15 of us are going to clean the beach and meet restaurant and café owners to request them to stop using plastic straws. We hope tocontinue this campaign for a long time to come,” says Ravi, one of the many in the city who are taking the first steps in volunteerism.

Many such efforts are highlighted in the media and hailed over social media. But that may not convey the whole picture, says artist and teacher Divya Ramachandran, who is known for her project of working with government and public schools to paint their walls. The youngster cautions against going by social media to judge how many would turn up to attend the volunteering activities they signed up for — “About 30 to 40 people sign up, but only 3 show up!”

One way to improve this, she says, is to approach school administrations directly and request them to coordinate with students. “That way, students are motivated to turn up, and in turn, their parents. I’ve found such collaborations to always be fruitful. Similarly, teaming up with corporates for CSR activities is alsofruitful if enough notice is given, so that everyone gets prepared,” says Divya.