Write Comment     |     E-Mail To a Friend     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Print

Manipal : On the 151^st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Manipal Academy of Higher Education launched the week-long festival of “DaanUtsav 2020” from Oct 2-8, 2020.

Volunteer Services Organization (VSO), the social unit of MAHE has planned an array of VIRTUALGIVING & VOLUNTEERING activities for students, staffs and their family members along with the constituent institutes of MAHE to celebrate the “Joy of Giving” like previous years. Various activities like mask making, yoga sessions named “Relax, Breathe and Repeat”, Rags to Bags- Making carry bags from old t-shirts, etc have been initiated virtually. Virtual projects like ‘Health Bites’- to maintain balanced diet and build immunity and “Salute to COVID warriors”- wherein students will express their gratitude virtually have also been planned. With the intent of ‘GyaanDaan’, VSO will engage student volunteers in curating an ‘Activity Workbook’ including crossword, riddles, puzzles, short stories,  for the underprivileged children between age group of 8-12 years. ‘Rangat – A Cultural Extravaganza!’ will be held wherein volunteers will submit entries under the categories of Dance, Music and Dramatics virtually, the same will be compiled and reposited for the residents of Asare and Hombelaku - Rehabilitation centers for specially challenged individuals and people with mental disorders, respectively and also for the nearby slums and orphanages of Udupi.

To contribute to Nature, VSO have initiated the project ‘Plant a sapling’ wherein the student volunteers from various parts of India are encouraged to sow a sapling or a stem in their home and contribute towards a greener earth. To instil the value of generosity in kids, VSO has also collaborated with Madhavakripa schools, where the primary kids are encouraged to make BOX of HAPPINESS. The box of happiness containing 7 days-7 items will be send to villages in rural India with the collaboration and support of GOONJ.

Despite the pandemic and several challenges which are being faced right now, the faculty and students of MAHE have not dampened their spirits and still manage to find ways to give back to the community, be it virtually or through the various donation drives.