Through our lens: Making a difference in the society

By: Mansi Singh

The year 2019. COVID-19 doesn’t exist. I have a normal campus life like everyone else and I venture out to explore what my calling has been since forever- a Childcare Non-Government Organization.
So, what motivated me towards this?

I read somewhere that for a nation to be truly transformed, there must be movements, civil societies, NGOs that are spread all across the land to educate people on the issues of Personal Responsibility. If a nation or rather active citizens of a nation could successfully launch such campaigns and a good percentage of the populace begin to live by the principles of Personal Responsibility, which is “don’t blame others”, think of what you can do to fix it. Such a nation would cross the huddle of civilization in a record time-and there you have your answer.

I thereby stumbled across what has been believed to be one of the most esteemed NGO clubs of VIT- Juvenile Care. Providing everything in a nutshell, it was more than just a place, it was home. Something you could rely on, something you could come back to vanish all your woes as you saw the smiling faces of different children from a plethora of schools and orphanages. I vividly remember the time I would wait for the Fun Frolic Fridays. It was my day of Each One Teach One, our premier educating venture, where we taught kids of a particular school or orphanage. The excitement they had, the energy they possessed was simply contagious. Their giggles ensured I never felt that I am alien to a particular place or a language. In this course, we went through our fundraising events, danced our hearts out to show our love for these little ones, and enjoyed every single moment while in Vellore.

Fast forward to March 2020- Schools and colleges were forced to shut down, everyone rapidly headed to their homes. When the world came to a standstill and everything was forced to be shut down, the problems kept going. In scenarios like these, Juvenile Care stepped up and helped frontline workers and those affected by the pandemic and joblessness through plentiful fundraising and collaborative events. Being a part of all these small moments was more than just a privilege- it was blissful, it was a delight to my heart and my mind.
Our scope further extended to the conduction of events and fundraisers for children in the online mode. Call it a blessing in disguise, but it gave me the opportunity to interact with children not just from Vellore but all corners of the country. We laughed our hearts out, smiled till our cheeks pained, enriched our minds, and satisfied our souls, all in a single meeting.
They say that goodbyes are hard and trust me, they were. Physically distancing ourselves out, missing on an experience, learning, a fulfillment was more than just hard for us. But we always ensured that we bridged the gaps of the heartfelt distance.

Every bit of something that sums up to give memories of a lifetime is never possible without an excellent team, and I was immensely blessed with an amazing one. My peers and seniors have seen hurdles, failures, success- all of it together. We have said hard goodbyes to some and will have to continue doing so. But deep inside, every volunteer knows that we have strived, are striving, and will continue to strive for Love, Peace, and Social Work because it’s not our job, it’s our responsibility.