Daan Utsav, one of the largest volunteer-driven philanthropic initiatives across the country, is back this week with events, drives and activities helmed by NGOs, individuals and corporate houses.
It is an effort to bring together people from all walks of life and provide an opportunity to improve the lives of the less fortunate.
In 2016, millions of people volunteered in more than 1,500 events across 200 cities across the country and raised monetary and material donations.
The festival is celebrated every year from October 2 to 8 across the country. During the festival auto-rickshaw drivers, CEOs, school children, celebrities, homemakers, leaders, and millions of other people come together to give their time, money, resources, or skills back to society.
A giving event could be as simple as a family taking out their maid’s children for ice cream, or as large as a ‘Gift Compassion’. The latter is an event that has over 10,000 schoolchildren across India exchanging gifts with their peers from different socio-economic backgrounds every year.
Indian Oil one of the participants of the Daan Utsav is hosting stalls on causes like education, health, women’s issues, poor shelters, etc. at over 50 petrol pumps. The stalls aim at creating awareness among people and mobilise funds for activities. While Delhi Metro is collecting books and stationery items for underprivileged children.
Goonj, which is involved in relief and rehabilitation work held an awareness session about the states currently hit by floods. The club will collect relief material during Daan Utsav for the flood-affected areas from the households in Jalvayu Vihar.
Students from Ethiraj College Chennai, in partnership with Vaishnavi Welfare and Charitable Trust, have pledged to donate grains to shelter homes that house underprivileged children who are supported by the trust.
Nishabhda Seva Trust is organising collection drives of clothes and digital equipment, along with donations. The donations will go towards leprosy affected persons in Chegalpet. Clothes will be distributed to the elderly in Vadalur, and digital equipment will be donated to schools across the state. Eco-Kitchen, a city-based natural kitchen, is also offering citizens the chance to donate a meal by contributing Rs 30 on Daan Utsav week. With various programmes to make a difference, Daan Utsav gives us a chance to make the city welcoming for all.
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