Social Work Volunteer Opportunities

People don’t like to think of themselves as ugly. In fact, all of us try our best to look presentable. But one look at our immediate neighbourhood and the state of public places amply demonstrates that most of India still lives in filth and no one seems to be bothered by it. However, The Ugly Indian is an organisation that is working towards sensitising citizens about the importance of keeping our cities clean.

“The movement has begun!”

“Change beckons!”

“Be the change!”

Amidst the craze happening around the IPL, there is a beverage commercial floating around promoting football. It is a given that cricket is the preferred game that the nation follows but this commercial compels you to think otherwise. This blog is no follow-up promo of this campaign but a reminder that there are other forms of sports flourishing in the country and that there is budding talent for the same. The cold fact is that they don’t get enough coverage or support to see their dream come true. But there is hope. An organisation is making sure of it.

An air conditioned office, a coffee machine and computer is what defines a typical workplace today. For over a million children in India, however, this isn’t so typical. For them, a workplace is a construction site, a highway or a factory. We’re talking about children who work for daily wages and literally labour through the day to get a small income. You can even see them in your neighbourhood, working as ‘help’. For them, getting a square meal is drudgery, let alone getting access to a happy childhood and education.

Given an opportunity to express, what would be your opinion about cops? The expected response would be that they are corrupt; they have an insatiable hunger for bribes and so on. But this perspective is about to change once you read this story.

Remember the movie Swades? The story of a NASA scientist who helps bring change to his village.  Chances are that you felt a wave of inspiration and pride as you finished watching the movie. How often do we turn this pride into action? The group of students from Mumbai who started Project Chirag did not need a movie to inspire them. Their passion simply drove them to help the small village of Ujjaini get access to power. Here’s their inspirational story to success.

Imagine feeling threatened every time you stepped out. It's a dilemma that a lot of women, especially in the capital, face each day. Although the Indian woman is upheld as an independent individual today, sexual harassment is putting a brake on her freedom. According to recent news, our capital has become the hub of such incidents. It has come to a point where people treat it as an everyday matter rather than a problem.

What makes you proud to be an Indian?

Most of us have fond memories of our childhood. It’s a time of joyous moments, summer vacations and exams. For the not-so-lucky ones, it’s nothing short of a nightmare. It’s a troubled time when getting a square meal is a priority. On International Day for Street Children, we are celebrating some organisations that are trying to give these underprivileged children a chance at a better life.