The Joy of Giving Week (JGW), planned for Sept 27 - Oct 3, 2009 as a national movement, aimed to engage at least two crore Indians in different "acts of giving" - money, time, resources and skills- spanning the corporate, NGO and government sectors, schools, colleges and the general public. Brain-child of Mumbai-based NGO GiveIndia, it aimed to create a "festival of philanthropy" that can, over the years, become a part of the Indian ethos, with the Week being celebrated every year covering Gandhi Jayanti.
As a part of XLRI’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations, XLRI decided to anchor and facilitate the Week for the city of Jamshedpur as “Jamshedpur JoyFest”.
The preparations for the Week started from August 21st when it was unveiled at XLRI by in a function attended by the who’s who of the city, and was graced by the film director Imtiaz Ali, who is also the brand ambassador for the Joy of Giving Week. According to Fr Abraham, Director XLRI:
“In our daily lives, we all help others in our own small ways. But here is an opportunity for us to do it together, to encourage others to do so, and to celebrate the spirit of volunteerism, which is so deep-rooted in the Jamshedpur community. As a part of our Diamond Jubilee celebrations, we have decided that we will make efforts to anchor and facilitate this cause for the city to which we belong… and contribute to the nation-building.”
One of the major initiatives undertaken by XLRI – partnered with the corporates, schools and colleges, NGOs, and local civil society organizations – was to support "Vastra-Samman", a nation-wide initiative by the award-winning NGO, GOONJ. to mobilize and collect 400,000 pieces of usable/wearable clothes for the under-privileged sections of the society.
There were a number of people and organisations, who planned - and did - a variety of activities to celebrate the "Act of Giving" in Jamshedpur.
At XLRI: XLRI students celebrated the Week by doing something special for the neglected sections of the society - old age people, the disabled, the girl-child, the unorganised sector labour, etc...
Sept 27th: “Service Before Self” Bike Rally: Flag-off of the Joy of Giving Week @ XLRI, with students, faculty, staff went on a rally around the city to spread the awareness about the “Joy of Giving Week” and gifted clothes to the under-served.
Raddi Collection & Sale: Collection and sale of Raddi to generate funds for gifts etc. for the various visits (Update: INR 2374 raised from 337kg of newspapers and 88kg of magazines – thanks!!)
A Day with the Aged: Students of XLRI visited to “Nirmal Hrudaya” by the students to spend an afternoon – and distributed sweets, played music, danced and took their blessings…
Nukkad Naatak: The Dramatics Club of XLRI – DRACULA – performed street plays at Ashiana Gardens and Sun City to raise awareness about the Joy of Giving Week and about “Vastra-Samman”
Sept 28th: Dussehra with Cancer Patients: A small group of students (since there was a number limit from the hospital) spent time with the cancer patients at the Meherbai Memorial Cancer Hospital – gifted them sweets, fruits and flower… and came back sensitized and resolved to drive ‘blood donation” for the cancer patients.
Sept 29th: Vastra Samman | Clothes Collection Drive: it is happening across the city, but this is the day to donate clothes for the “Vastra-Samman” (Dignifying Clothes) (UPDATE: we collected and distributed 4-1/2 trucks of clothes from across the city)
XL Labour Day: Saying thanks to those who serve. Students will felicitate our staff in the hostels, campus, mess, etc… serve them lunch and make them have a nice time – as they have helped them in this batch and many earlier batches…
A Day with Specially Enabled: Students visited Cheshire Home to spend time with the kids there. Games, common singing sessions, etc. are planned
Silent Auction: “Donate Generously, Bid Generously”… a fund-raising event. You may have ‘something’ which some others in the XL community may want to buy – the money was donated for the numerous causes we have. Venue: Old Cafetaria (12:30 -5:30pm)
Sept 30th: “Celebrate the Child” Day: About 50 children from an orphanage visited the XL campus – and the XLRI students planned events – games, movies, activities – to, in our own limited ways to tell them… that we care!
Oct 1st: “Give Back to Earth” Day: an event to propagate the idea of “Giving Back to Earth”. Save energy, reduce wastage & give back to Gaia – to Mother Earth - what we take from her for our nourishment…
"Badhte Kadam" Car Rally: some XLRI flag of for a 4 day trip to Bodh Gaya, Nalanda and Rajgir, and carried 10 cartons of clothes, food material, toys, kites, colouring books and crayons, etc., to distribute on their way.
Oct 2nd: Gandhi Jayanti Celebrations: a day to remember Gandhiji – and his relevance for today’s India. Screening of "Lalit Vachani's "In Search of Gandhi" followed by discussions…
Oct 3rd: Health Camps: The student doctors in XLRI participated and provided their services for the poor and needy in the slums and villages.
Elsewhere in Jamshepur
30 schools in Jamshedpur are participating in "Vastra-Samman"
Marwadi Mahila Mandal collected and contributed 2,000 clothes for the needy.
The Press Club of Jamshedpur has pledged to give publicity to the "Joy of Giving Week: Jamshedpur JoyFest" - and to contribute to the "Vastra-Samman"
Rotary Club, Tata Steel, JUSCO, Telcon, etc. participated in the "Vastra-Samman" initiative.
Clothes collection drive by JYOTI and Interact Clubs
etc,. etc.,....
Please tell us what YOU did as the celebrations for the "Joy of Giving". It is not about a BIG thing or "small" act... as long it brings a smile and hope on even one person's face.
Fulfilling a basic need: Out of the three basic needs of mankind (Roti, Kapda aur Makan), we believe that just by re-using our old clothes the problem of clothing can be solved to a very large extent without any major investments and policy decisions..
It doesn't involve the expenses and efforts on holistic development of the society as in case of solving the problem of Food and no major policy decisions and huge investments are required, as in case of Shelter.
Half of India doesn't need a disaster: At least one major disaster every year and a number of floods, cyclone, riots & accidents in various parts of the country throughout the year... And we in India get into an action to collect material and send to the people only when a major disaster of the magnitude of Orrissa cyclone happens.. Annual mishaps like Assam & Bihar floods do not even get attention by the media, leave aside the people who can help..
And also a basic fact about this country is that - half of India doesn't need a disaster to be helped so why wait for a disaster?
When we raise an issue of development v/s charity and say by distributing clothes we are promoting charity, we tend to forget that this issue might be relevant for western countries but not in a country like India. The question of survival is the biggest question for half the population who either don't have resources or whatever they have is not enough even for a meal in a day. Although a basic need, the cloth doesn't even come in their imagination while struggling for survival.
The macro thought: Never stop donating by doubting that whether it'll reach to a right person or not. On a macro level divide the society in two parts one is Donor and the other is Receiver. Always remember that me and you as donors never buy it back, the buyer is someone living in a small locality, a rickshaw puller, a laborer or a slum dweller. The fact remains that it reaches to someone needy, anywhere in some part of the country.
When VASTRA-SAMMAN takes the shape of a mass movement: A few years down the line when VASTRA-SAMMAN spreads through out the country, by simple rule of demand and supply the supply would be much more, which means:
Much more clothes to more people, across the country, without any charge.
The cloth penetrates deep inside the country, even to the remotest parts, fulfilling one of the basic need of the mankind .
The beneficiaries can reallocate his meager resources for other basic needs like food, health and shelter.
The moment any disaster happens, we'll be ready with a stock of relief material and a network of donors, volunteers and agencies in place to face it.
Thousands of people will be saved from a vicious cycle of debts, they get into around festival time for buying clothes. A lot of beneficiaries in Bihar exemplifies this, who on CHATH PUJA, their main festival, didn't have to buy clothes on loan because they got it from GOONJ..
AND all this needs just 97 paisa per cloth, right from collection to sorting, packing, transportation, and distribution in any remote part of the country.
Don't Discard!!!... Contribute and Donate! What you contribute, is "Not Just A Piece of Cloth"... it can save a life!!
The Jamshedpur JoyFest to celebrate the Joy of Giving Week flagged off on Sept 27th morning with the "Service-Before-Self" bike rally.
The aim was to spread awareness about the Week in the city, and to share the joy of giving with people.... Bikers travelled across Sonari, Mango, Marine Drive road, Golmuri, Baridih, Birsanagar, Bistupur, Adityapur, Railway Station etc., and distributed clothes on the way..
The Dramatics Club of XLRI - DRACULA - performed "Nukkad Naatak" at Ashiana Gardens and Sun City to spread the awareness about the Joy of Giving Week, and about "Vastra Samman":
