Putting the heart back into charity

Last year, we had written about how Youth For People, a Malad-based not-for-profit NGO, successfully provided over a lakh notebooks to children of Mokhada, a region situated on the outskirts of Nasik, 155 km away from Mumbai. Today, a year later, the Youth For People team is gearing up for a bigger challenge—to provide 2 lakh notebooks to not only children of Mokhada but also Jawhar, on July 2, 2016.

Looking back
It’s been three years since this initiative was started by the small but efficient team at Youth For People. When asked how far they have come, Dipesh Tank, who is a part of Youth For People, says, “It’s been a great journey and a learning experience for us as well. Facilitating the education of these kids is a significant goal, but more importantly, we are urging Mumbaikars to become participative by introducing places like Mokhada and Jawhar, which predominantly have a population of scheduled tribes.” Tank explains what he calls ‘convenience charity’, the general thought that ‘I would go to a place nearby me and get it done with’. He emphasises that by actively participating in the drive, one would derive more satisfaction and reach the people who would appreciate your donation or charity the most.

The numbers game
Talking about the progress achieved over the past three years, the team was able to provide 65,000 notebooks in the first year, followed by 1,15,000 notebooks last year, which reached the hands of 20,000 students. All of this was achieved by donating Rs. 100 per person, which was then used to source 12 notebooks per child. A child typically needs 12 notebooks for the whole year. The notebooks are sourced from a notebook manufacturer at a special rate. In the first week of this year’s initiative, six thousand notebooks have already been pledged. In the future, Tank and his team would ideally like to do something about resolving the problem of water scarcity in these regions. Looking at the sheer grit and willingness of this team, we think that it is possible to achieve any goal. As Tank likes to put it, #‎CharitySabkeBasKiBaat.‬
To pledge your donation, you can visit www.facebook.com/youthforpeople or call Dipesh Tank at 98331 52162.

5 reasons why you should participate

1. On an average, the children walk anywhere between 2 km to 8 km every day to reach their school. This initiative would encourage them to stay in school.
2. While the children have access to school uniforms and mid-day meals, notebooks is something they have to buy themselves.
3. The notebooks themselves are made out of recycled paper.
4. Anyone can make a donation of an amount as small as Rs. 100. It is a misconception that charity is a rich person’s duty alone.
5. By letting go of convenience charity, you can reach out to people who’d appreciate your charity more than the ones in your neighbourhood.