Such a Long Journey

It has been such a long journey for all the atheletes who participated in the Common Wealth Games, especially for those coming from humble backgrounds and from places with minimal or zero facilities. To have won medals in the face of discouragement, social ostraticism and lack of official support is not just an outstanding feat, but a glorious one. They are the ones to have truly contributed to the glory of sport and honour of men.

It has been such a long journey for Mukesh Ambani, from a chawl in Bhuleshwar to the most expensive home in India and amongst the most expensive homes in the world.

It is a long journey for all those who pour into our cities day after day, in search of a better and more dignified life, for all those who stand guard at our borders, for those who build our roads, clean our gutters, man our public places, for all those who are mothers and fathers and grandparents, and uncles and aunts and cousins and friends, for all those who are caretakers of the future generation and of this our earth, for all those who have the courage to dare and to dream and all of us have to remember to tread softly or we may tread on someone's dreams, and when dreams are lost, nothing remains.

It is such a long journey for the Joy of Giving Week, from an idea in the mind to an act in the lives of many. Like those who came before us and hopefully like those who will come after us, we also have had the courage to dare and to dream.

I have promises to keep/ And miles to go before I sleep/ And miles to go before I sleep.

Robert Frost's lines from Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening, best describes the journey the Joy of Giving Week still has ahead of it. We have just hosted the JGW for 2 years and as we have been repeatedly saying, it is still too early to gauge its impact. Participation and resource mobilisation have both increased this year, compared to last year, but we do not know whether the motivation to sustain the giving has been kindled. The giving has to endure, not just this year or for just the week, but for as long as we exist. When that happens, then we at the JGW team can rest because we would have reached our journey's end.

Meanwhile, we say goodbye for now and will be back next year. It is such a long journey........

Step by Step

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and so it is with the Joy of Giving Week. For a festival that is independent of any religion, social custom, culture or ritual, the JGW seems to have earned itself a place in the calendar of festivals in India. This is not an idle boast for the JGW has been successful this year too. But of course we are also aware that it is still too early to gauge the success of the JGW, for we have just co-ordinated the giving week twice. The JGW is therefore still in its infancy and has a long journey to make, but we are determined to make the journey step by step.

That we have begun to make bigger strides is evident in this year's participation in the JGW which saw more than 500 events, spread over 70 cities and towns, (with even rural areas participating), raise over 20crore in cash and kind. Participants have also found numerous ways of giving and have volunteered, fundraised, created awareness for a cause, donated, collected resources and have generally spread the word around with enthusiasm, determination and more importantly with conviction. This last is important for unless one is convinced that there is a purpose to the JGW, participation is rendered meaningless because it cannot be sustained, and the years to come may see dwindling interest. So the challenge before us is to ensure that the motivation to give is encouraged.

You can help us in our mission of drawing more to our cause and sustain the JGW by sharing with us your 'giving' experiences. Your story may prompt someone to introspect and discover a value in giving. Your story may help someone emulate it and in the process discover a so far unfelt joy. Your story may inspire someone to script a better one for self and others. Your story may be the one that helps transform us into gentler, simpler, more humane and thus more joyous beings. So do share your JGW stories with us and join us as we continue our journey, step by step. Write to us at updates@joyofgivingweek.org

The Verdict

No, this post is not about Ayodhya, though one could be forgiven for thinking it to be. Neither is this about the CWG and its successful opening ceremony. The verdict we are talking about is that delivered by 'we the people' about the Joy of Giving Week, and the verdict is that the JGW is a festival that has come to stay. 'Giving' seems to have permeated into our conscious thoughts in such a complete manner that participation and by extension resource mobilisation has far surpassed last year's and exceeded our expectation. Updates on the actual number of events held, the amount of resources collected, the break-up in terms of kinds of resources, the manner of participation, the places which saw more involvement etc will all be analysed and written about shortly.

But for now we would like to say a thank you to all those who made a successful JGW possible. The celebrities get written about and thanked profusely in public for their contribution. But the fact is that the Joy of Giving Week would lose its impact and would be rendered meaningless unless it is adopted by a large number of citizens. We have been able to attract the common man to our cause and by wholehearted participation, the people have shown that the JGW belongs to each one of us and it is our involvement that has made a difference. So thank you to each one of you for holding out a hand to help, to support, to inspire, to share, to give.

Year 2, Day 7, Oct. 2nd

The last day of the Joy of Giving Week and even as one writes this, events are still being held across the country to conclude this week of giving. Updates on the auction for Lunch with Amitabh Bachchan, resources raised during the Styles for Smiles to be held later this evening, will be posted in the coming days. In the meantime, it is worth asking ourselves how our participation has made a difference to us and to society as a whole. We at the JGW team really do not know what your experiences have been and more important whether these experiences of giving have left behind an impression either positive or otherwise. Introspection is necessary because it will determine not only your participation in further editions of JGW, but will also influence partly the path you choose to follow. Are you going to continue to give because you think that is the only way forward towards a fair society or will you revert to a consumerist and selfish culture so common today ?

The birthday of one of the greatest men to have ever walked this earth is a good time to remind ourselves that a single step can and has shaped history. The Dandi March with a handful of salt, Rosa Parks refusing to vacate her seat for a white person in a bus, the Boston Tea Party, are all immensely significant in determining the future of men and nations.

In this context, we believe that the Joy of Giving Week is but a small step but has the potential to change our world. Charity and philantropy are no longer mere words but a part of our waking thoughts. A single act of giving every day will surely turn us into happier individuals and when that happens, we are more than ever ready to face challenges thrown up at us and that in turn will lead to a stronger, more equitable and sustainable society. To enable such a society to come into existence, we all need to contribute and what better way to do it than by participating in the Joy of Giving Week.

Year 2, Day 6, Oct. 1st

Day 6 of the Joy of Giving Week and the week is unprecedently successful. Total collections have surpassed that of last year and are still expected to go up. With over 400 registered events and participation from all corners of the country, the JGW is well on its way to turning into a truly national festival. What better way to remember Gandhiji than to live the values he espoused.

Mumbai played host to the Treasure Trove yesterday, while Chennai had the Battle of the Buffet and the resources raised between them has been substantial.

While major corporate events do attract publicity, it is the small contributions made by individuals in their private capacity that really transforms the JGW into a festival for all. We have one such story today where Sankool Shah from Capgemini, has decided to cycle 40km to work during the JGW and donate the money saved to charity. A passionate advocate of an unpolluted environment, Sankool believes that each one of us needs to do our bit for protecting our earth.

Then we have the story of Pragya who has asked family and friends to set aside Rs10 each time they eat out and this money would then be donated. The money people like Pragya and Sankool raise may not even run into thousands, but let us not forget that the thought behind is what counts. Ultimately what will change our world are efforts like these. By considering no contribution too small or no effort as too insignificant, we are bringing about a change, a change for the better that we hope will help us turn into a more equal society. For those who have yet to make a beginning, we say, start now, in this the Joy of Giving Week.

Year 2, Day 5, Sept. 30th

The last three days of the Joy of giving Week 2010 and we bring to you an update from Jamshedpur, from the Head of a Nursery School called Baug-e-Jamshed. Mrs.Dotivalla, the Principal of the school thankfully believes in inculcating the right values at a young age. So, her school catering to 3 to 5 year olds decided to celebrate the JGW with activities like Collage Making Day, Reading Day, Joy with Dance and Musicetc. The school has also organised a clothes collection drie. These children will, we are sure, grow up to be caring and empathetic individuals. A thank you to Mrs.Dotivalla.

In Chennai today, patrons are getting ready for the big battle, the Battle of the Buffet. Restaurants across the city have tied up with generous donors vying for well cooked dishes. A wonderful way to raise resources while satisfying one's palate.

Meanwhile Bangalore has seen events for children, a focus on health with Pranic Healing, eye check ups, yoga, newspaper collection drive to name just a few.

From Pune comes this update from Opus Software that is celebrating the JGW across its offices with various activities. They are organizing Vastradaan, Annadaan hai Mahadaan and Buy for a Cause campaigns in the ‘Joy of Giving Week’ at their corporate office in Pune. They will also organize the Vastradaan and Annadaan hai Mahadaan campaigns in their Mumbai and Chennai offices. The employees of the organization will donate clothes for the Vastradaan campaign on September 28th and foodgrains for the Annadaan hai Mahadaan campaign on September 29th.

Makemytrip continues with its JGW initiative begun last year with its aim of reducing carbon footprints.

We would like to end with a story from TAPMI where students celebrated JGW with activities for children from an orphanage. As Shweta a team member of the Social Endeavour Group says, "It is an enriching experience to have the children from Balaniketan here and with their presence the campus took on a new colour."
We fervently hope the JGW adds colours to our lives and in the lives of those we share our time, resources and skills with. We could all do with a lot more colour and joy in our lives. So share and spread joy in this the the Joy of Giving Week

Year 2, Day 4, Sept. 29th

Midway through the second year of the Joy of Giving Week, and we at the JGW team find ourselves unable to express our thanks for the wonderful response our appeals to give have generated. We have been receiving regular updates from all over and we will write about them at a later point in time. Meanwhile a fundraiser in aid of Jai Vakeel School for Children in need of Special Care, called Treasure Trove, was held today at the Taj.

"Treasure Trove is a charity auction of a mixed bag of art/ fashion/ Jewellery/ collectibles and memorabilia – each of which has an intrinsic worth. The idea of mixing all kinds of premium luxury goods at the auction is, that everybody present has a chance to contribute while taking home an object they desire. " We are confident that the fund raised would be substantial.

One of the amazing facets of the JGW is the manner in which it takes care of all sections of society and all age groups and in all areas. So we have resource mobilisation for marginalised children, a Grain Bank for all, fund collection for health related issues like Alzheimers disease, awareness creation about organ donation, helping develop soft skills in skilled and semi skilled workers, events for senior citizens, and we could go on and on for people have chosen to give in numerous ways.

A major surprise in the JGW and one we must admit we did not really anticipate is the link established between the common citizen, the corporate and the government. In fact the response of givernment officials to the JGW is really encouraging. Last year forest officials got together with villagers to plant saplings in Maharashtra and this year police officials in Chennai have come forward with a three point agenda to help the general public. ACP (law and order), Mohammad Shakeel Akhter from Chennai spelt out this agenda when he said " We have a 3 point agenda for Joy of Giving Week. Senior citizens should be respected, women should be empowered and the gap between the police and general public bridged." To carry forward their ideas, they have drawn upon college students, NGO volunteers, IT professionals as 'ambassadors' to convey their ideas. Change as we have always claimed, can be brought about at all levels by thinking and acting positively.
The auction for a lunch date with the Big B is going strong and we will update you on that in the coming days. Meanwhile mail us your 'giving' stories at updates@joyofgivingweek.org

Year 2, Day 3, Sept. 28th, A Child's World

The third day of second edition of the Joy of Giving Week and the nation is apprehensive about the post Ayodhya verdict reaction. It is worrying to hear school children talk of trouble that will follow the verdict and voice the opinion of the significant adults in their environment, about 'these people and those people'. How we wish that children could retain their innocence, that children could learn to live together, be free of and from violence, not be exposed to abuse of any sort, above all learn to believe that each one of us is an equal human and therefore have the same basic desire to be loved unconditionally and to belong. When one hears children talk today, it is evident that very few understand this and that most of them live in fear.

Fear dominates the minds of most children. They are frightened because they have not done their homework, because they have broken something, because the bully at school harasses them, because the uncle/ aunty down the road is abusing them, because the Seth or Malik is beating them, the policeman drives them away and because all these demons visit them at night, turning their lives into a living nightmare. When children are troubled like this, then the world they live in is not safe for them.

What exactly does a safe world mean? It is a world that respects the dignity of our children. It is a world where discrimination and abuse are unknown. It is a world where children feel secure, loved and accepted; a world where children have the right to remain children and are not drawn into adult responsibilities and games at childhood often against their will; a world where every child that is born has a right to a childhood that is peaceful and secure; a right to play and leisure; a right to an education; to freedom from fear; a world where each child has a right to hope and dream and children should never have to face a world that does not promise them the above.

What does all this have to do with the Joy of Giving Week one may ask and the answer to that is everything. Our participation in the JGW should not be undertaken merely to raise resources, but should help us to change our attitudes towards others, whether less fortunate or otherwise. The empathy that we hope accompanies each act of giving is what will ultimately help transform us into better human beings. When this happens, the change will filter down to our children and through them, our society will change into a safe and humane one. Come forward to participate in the JGW and help this change to happen .

Year 2, Day 2, Sept. 27th

Day 2 of the Joy of Giving Week and the response has been phenomenal. Over 40 registered events organised on Day 1 and we are unaware of the many 'giving' events that may have been held but have not been registered. We have already begun to receive updates from those who had their events yesterday, including an update about events and a health check-up organised for senior citizens living in an old age home in Ahmedabad.

Day 2 of the JGW and the auction on ebay India for a gym session with Salman Khan registered a highest bid of around three and a half lakhs.

Day 2 and the auction on ebayIndia for breakfast with Akshay Kumar has already crossed three and a half lakhs.

Day 2 of the JGW and we received a wonderful surprise when one of the most popular and best loved Indian and an icon for two generations, Mr.Amitabh Bachchan, decided to literally give of himself and has offered to have lunch with upto 10 people and spend around 2 hours with them, in candid talk. This is phenomenal because this is the first time he has ever agreed to do something like this. This is a tremendous opportunity for his fans to take advantage of and start bidding for his time. The bidding begins this evening at 5:00p.m. and ends on the 2nd of October. Please spread the word around and let us pray that we are able to raise a lot of funds through this because the fund goes to charity, as does the fund collected in the training session with Salman Khan and breakfast with Akshay Kumar.

Do write in with your updates to tell us how your event was held and more important, how did you feel at the end of it. Share your joy with us, the Joy of Giving Week. Write to us at updates@joyofgivingweek.org

Year 2, Day 1, 26th Sept.

The first day of the JGW today and even as one writes this, there are many 'giving' events that have already taken place and many will happen this evening and for the next 6 days. The response has been overwhelming. Certain 'giving activities' are being repeated this year because of the tremendous impact they had last year and the resources such activities raised. Battle of the Buffet, Shadow a CEO, Udayan's Home of Joy, Joyfest, Vastrasamman, Styles for Smiles are some of the better known events. But there are so many more innovative ways that have been designed for one to give. 314 events at the time of writing this.

We would like to reassure those who think that the JGW is about contributing big money, that it is not so. It is all about the small pebbles that together add up. So no contribution is too small. In fact, one could raise money by sharing one's time and skills and contribute that to charity. This is possible by being a part of the Dreamathon, a new event that has been designed to help raise money by living one's dream. Can it get better than that !!

Bitterness, envy, greed, seem to rule our lives and that needs to change if we are to live in content. With 6 days more to go for the JGW to come to an end, let us come together and pledge our time, skills and resources to create a better opportunities for the marginalised and a better land for ourselves. When each one of us contributes individually towards this, the effort becomes a collective one and results are soon visible. There are many such efforts undertaken during the JGW but we sign off with a story about Prof.Sandeep Desai who used to teach at SP Jain College of Management, Mumbai, who has managed to raise rupees 4 lakhs for a school in Ratnagari by asking commuters on the Churchgate-Borivili locals in Mumbai to contribute. As he says, "The response has been great." We need more such stories to uplift our spirits and galvanise us into action. The Joy of Giving Week, 2010.

and we thank....

The second chapter of the Joy of Giving Week begins tomorrow and signs of the festival surpassing last years collection and participation are already visible. 296 registered events at the time of writing this. It brings us joy ! But none of this would have been possible without the wholehearted and voluntary participation of thousands of both well known and anonymous men, women and children, not just in India, but outside the borders of our country as well. The coming weeks will give us a clearer idea about the numbers participating and the resources collected and the innovative manner in which the week has been celebrated, but even as we are all set to usher in the week, we take a moment off to give thanks to.....

the many celebrities who have taken time off from their busy schedules to make time to promote, participate and contribute to the JGW. Tendulkar, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Shriya, Adi Godrej, Amit Chandra, Anurag Kashyap.... to name just a few

the media, which has been covering the week extensively for a couple of weeks featuring on its pages, this story of positive change that comes across as a ray of hope amongst all the negative stories that are on the front pages of our newspapers or are headlines on our television screens.

the State Bank of India for carrying on all its 22,000 ATMs, the message of the Joy of Giving Week.

the many faces across the length and breadth of the country, from the school children in places like Nagaland, the corporate honcho in a metro, the college student in small towns, the concerned senior citizen, the homemaker, the office goer, the government official, the man on the street, all of whom have embraced the JGW as their personal festival, thus enabling us to make this a common vision, for the JGW has been visualised as a festival where every Indian from a 'billionaire to a paanwallah' can participate

above all, thanks are due to the many volunteers of the JGW team who have been working in visible and invisible ways for months to ensure that the message of this festival reaches as many as possible and that those who desire to participate are enabled to do so. It is their motivation, single minded determination, the shared vision, the time devoted to carrying this message of hope to as many as possible by making time for it in their otherwise busy schedules, that has contributed to a large extent to the success of this festival.

Thank you to all and may the Joy of Giving Week bring us all great joy. Join, participate and celebrate the JGW with humility and abundance.

Words of Wisdom

With the Joy of giving Week 2010 beginning the day after tomorrow, we could all do with some inspiring quotes to set us in the right frame of mind to give. Here are some wise words from the wise.

Gibran, puts it beautifully when he says, " It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, through understanding."

Albert M. Wells , " Sharing what you have is more important than what you have." The JGW stems from this idea, that it is more important to share than to possess.

Another gem, " You can never expect too much of yourself in the matter of giving yourself to others." ( Theodore C. Speers)

A beautiful and inspiring quote that sums up the essence of the JGW, is by Henry Drummond" There is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving" and the second "True religion ...is giving and finding one's happiness by bringing happiness into the lives of others."

The Joy of Giving Week, attempts to do just what these sayings advocate, bring happiness into one's own life and enrich that of others by giving, giving in abundance. Each one of us can give, no gift is too big or too small or too mean. In fact there is no meanness associated with giving. The very act of giving elevates us to a higher plane which is why one supposes that there is a feeling of joy. The recognition that joy accompanies giving is one that we usually learn as children and forget along the way. It is time to learn this lesson again. Two more inspiring quotes to end this post with : " No people were ever honored for what they received, Honor has been the reward for what they gave". ( Calvin Coolidge) and Henry Ford, the trail blazing businessman " Most people thing of success in terms of getting, success however, begins in terms of giving."

Let Joy & Peace Prevail

With Joy of Giving Week 2010 just 6 days away, it is heartening to note that around 170 events have already been registered on our website. We are confident that in the coming days, more participants would come forward to register their events and the number of events is sure to surpass last years total of 300. Many have written in to ask whether they could hold their fundraising, awareness creating, volunteering, resource collection activities either before or after the week is officially over. While we welcome any activity or attempt to give and would encourage them, we regret that such events cannot be considered a part of the Joy of Giving Week.

Is it necessary to hold your 'giving' event only during the JGW? Not at all. We are free to spread joy through giving as and when we find it convenient and in the manner we choose to. Yet, we would like as many of you as possible to have your 'giving' activities during the JGW not because we want to preen about how successful we have been at co-ordinating the festival, but because only then will it truly turn into a national festival. This is crucial to spread the culture of giving in the country. The spirit of giving should be imbibed by each one of us and should be as natural to us as breathing. When that happens, each day will be a Joy of Giving Day and each one of us will experience the happiness that comes from giving and ultimately peace will prevail in the land.

So come forward to participate in this unique humane festival. For those who have no clue about how to contribute, our site joyofgivingweek.ning.com has the answers. Today, when there is turmoil in the land with flood and diseases, apprehension about terrorist attacks and engineered accidents, worry about the fallout of the Ayodhya Judgment, we are all in need of an event, a festival that helps us to reach out to each other in a spirit of equality and empathy and that is the Joy of Giving Week. Come forward to bury differences and reach out to help, to cheer, to encourage and to give. The Joy of Giving Week, 26th Sept., to 2nd Oct., 2010

and God made us all

This morning, while on the regular commute to work by the suburban rail, a stray dog entered the compartment. The excitement was immediate and perceivable because it was after all a break from the routine commute. Newspapers were put away, the cellphone ring was ignored and fingers stopped counting the rosary beads. The dog made itself comfortable and sat down at a corner near the door, a place usually occupied by the street urchins, women vendors etc. For a short while, there was shared laughter and a few brave souls began to pet the dog while the rest watched indulgently. After a couple of minutes, a young student opened her lunchbox and fed the dog a chapati. Out came other sundry food stuff and by the time this writer got down (about 20mins after the dog entered), the dog had been offered a biscuit, a sandwich, more chapatis, some rice and vegetable. Did not really notice whether the dog ate it all.

Through all the excitement the animal caused, one could'nt help wondering about what would have happened if an urchin or a eunuch or a poor woman with babies in tow had entered the compartment. The treatment meted out to them would have been far from welcoming. They would have been shooed, asked to get down, threatened with a police complaint, and the camarederie one experienced amongst the commuters in the first instance would have taken a different turn with us grumbling about "These people don't understand. They get in and they have nothing to do except have kids". It is almost as if 'these people' don't matter and are not people at all. Most of us are guilty of displaying this attitude at sometime or the other.

What do we do about it? Nothing actually except turn defensive when accused. But if we truly want to make a difference, then we need to treat all with courtsey and accord to all the respect we wish to be given. Granted the ticketless traveller or a free-loader can be an irritant but by treating him/ her like an inanimate object, we are negating his/ her very humanity. Each one of us is equal in the eyes of God. It should not be too difficult for an aetheist to accept that we are all human beings and that by itself makes us all equal.

The JGW is about equality and according dignity to all. Raising resources is of no use if unaccompanied with graciousness. To raise the JGW this year to a higher plane, let us make it a point to treat all with courtsey and believe that "all of us are born equal in dignity and rights." If the JGW can transfer a message that all of us are equally worthy, and if this message is absorbed by many, then the change towards a more egalitarian society has begun. Let us begin to work on this change, today and now.

A Human Touch

Just read about Human Touch, a Nagpur based NGO, participating in the JGW to raise resources to 'serve the young'. They will be participating in the India Giving Challenge that is a part of JGW. The name Human touch, seems so apt to describe the essence of the JGW. In this week, we hope by performing the act of giving, strangers reach out to each other, a human touch as it were. Going by the number of events registered at the JGW website, 82 at the time of writing this, (though we are sure many more would have been planned but not registered), many young people are coming forward to reach out and help. That is hearening. What is also encouraging, is the link between the corporate and the NGO. We have written about this earlier, but think it is worth mentioning again because any such linkage is beneficial for the NGO has a mentor and the corporate gains in tax breaks and enhances its image in the community to name just two.
Coming back to the events registered, like last year they cover a wide range of areas, like organ donation, education, health awareness, resource mobilisation, working for change to name just a few. For those who would like more details about the events and how to participate, visit us at www.joyofgivingweek.ning.com. With the JGW just 2 weeks away, there is'nt much time and we need to act fast if we are to make a bigger impact this year than last year.
Meanwhile here is another press report:
http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report_give-in-to-the-pleasure-of-giving-selflessly_1437226

Usher in Hope

This blog has consciously refrained from commenting on political and current issues and restricted itself to motivating and inspiring people to participate in the Joy of Giving Week and experience joy through such giving. This is not because we shy away from discussing issues of national and human importance, but because we feel such discussion inevitably turns cynical and, cynicism is the last sentiment one would want associated with the JGW. The JGW has not been without its critics and one major and common criticism against the JGW is that it focusses on restricting giving to a week and not beyond that. This is however untrue. It is correct that we emphasise on and create awareness about the week long festival of giving but we do that hoping that those who choose to give, continue to do so much after the week is over, because of the joy they have experienced by giving time, money or other resources during the JGW.

Going back to what we began this post with, the current situation in India is far from rosy. With inflation at a high, food unavailable to all, the CVC speaking about corruption in both high places and amongst the ordinary Indian, rampant malaria, dengue and other infection spreading rapidly, doctors on strike, the trade unions on strike, schools turning into punsihment and suicide zones, we all need an event that ushers in hope, telling us that things can and will change. This change will come about only when we choose to bring it in. We can do that by beginning to empathise and by believing that all are equally worthy. The Joy of Giving Week, aims to do just that. Here there is a giver and a receiver, but the relationship is one of equals because both experience joy; a joy that comes from sharing, caring and reaching out. Experience that joy along with countless others, during the Joy of Giving Week 2010 and help us become a more humane country.

Meanwhile, here is a link to a write-up on the JGW events to be held in Pune this year

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/the-joy-of-giving-week-schedule-unveiled/679870/

Vastrasamman

One of the offerings to God during a Pooja in Hinduism, is the symbolic offering of Vastram. Here, pure cotton wool is made into a garland and offered to the deity. This is called Vastram meaning cloth. The exchange of clothes between the bride's family and the groom's family during weddings, probably stems from this. By gifting clothes, we are in a way according respect to the other person. Vastrasamman literally means 'respect through clothes', and this, is the basic idea behind the Vastrasamman campaign of Goonj. By clothing the unclad, Vastrasamman seeks to bestow dignity to the individual.

Goonj and its campaign is an integral part of JGW. The Vastrasamman initiative is on the face of it very simple; collect clothes from those who would like to donate and distribute to those in need. But the effort put in to collect and distribute is massive with collection centres in many cities and small towns. No piece of cloth is discarded. The hanky or small napkin we throw away, may be pieced together along with other small pieces, and may end up as a baby's diaper, a loin cloth or as a home made sanitary napkin. By recognising the immense need the poorest of the poor, especially the women, have for cloth as much as they have for clothes, Vastrasamman is in a way reaffirming the worth of every individual.

As we go through our wardrobes everyday, wondering what to wear to college or to work or to the party, discarding much of what we have as unsuitable, unfashionable, boring etc., let us spare a thought to those who have just one set of clothes or perhaps not even that and as we rush out to buy the perfect dress, let us resolve to give away what we do not use. Let that be our contribution to the JGW this year, that each time we buy a new outfit, we give away one old one. When we settle down to springclean our wardrobe, let us not hoard clothes for sentimental reasons or selfish reasons or for any reason whatsoever. Let us on the contrary give away all that we have not used and are not likely to use. That will truly give us Joy and can be our commitment to the Joy of Giving Week.

Spreading Awareness

With less than a month to go for the JGW, the media has begun to pay attention to the phenomenal success of the week and the potential it holds for impacting many lives. Recent media coverage on the JGW has been both generous and extensive. Yet, one does feel that the idea of JGW is as yet unknown to many. It is necessary to reach out to as many as possible because the more the numbers participating in the JGW, the more the numbers that will be helped. If each one of us can spread the message of JGW to at least 10 people who were unaware of it earlier and in turn ask them to share the idea with 10 each, then more awareness is created and enhanced participation is possible. The festive season is here and one could use the community celebration venues to spread awareness about JGW. Our impulse to give and to share is very strong during the festival season and one should therefore capitalise on this strong impulse to influence others to participate in the Joy of Giving Week. The website of the JGW shows that around 45 registered events are scheduled to be held as a part of the week, though many more would have been planned but not registered. We are sure that this is just the beginning and that the number of events held, the resources raised and the number of people impacted will surpass that of last year. However, it helps us when the events you plan are registered so that we have a ready record of the impact and more important, are in a position to formulate a strategy to reach out to more, thus spreading the message of the Joy of Giving Week.

Sach a Joy

India's most loved sportsperson Sachin Tendulkar, is at it again, helping promote the Joy of Giving week 2010. In an exclusive interview with Times Now, he says "the Joy of Giving Week is a great opportunity for an individual to express himself and what he wants to do for the community." Sachin of course not only doubled his contribution to his favourite charity Apnalaya last year during JGW, but also devoted a day to a cricket coaching camp, offering his time that was auctioned to raise funds. He says that he enjoyed getting to know the people who attended his camp.

The JGW has been lucky in that it has both famous and committed brand ambassadors. Whether it has been Sachin, or Nandita Das, Shriya, Surya, Madhavan, Rahul Bose or the corporate big wigs like Adi Godrej, all have not just lent their names, faces and voices, but more importantly have given generously of their time and that has been a major contributing factor to the success of the Week in its very year of inception in 2009.

However the famous can take a movement only upto a certain point. mass participation becomes essential for any movement to succeed and again JGW has been lucky in that it has caught the imagination of the public at large and turned into a national festival, cutting across all barriers and with all participating. Some of the ways the country contributed has been written about in today's Times of India in Mumbai. Meanwhile what of JGW 2010. here we go back to quote the star cricketer as he says:
We have set higher goals this year and higher targets. It is not only up to me, but it is up to the whole of India to help us achieve the target. This week is to celebrate, to make sure that there are happy people across the country, and there are smiles on faces. That is what we wish to do. The idea behind starting this joy of giving week was to spread smiles.

So let's all heed Sachin's words and come together to spread smiles. participate in the Joy of Giving Week between the 26th of Sept., and the 2nd of Oct 2010. A link that says more

timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Sach-joy-of-giving-We-have-higher-goals-now/articleshow/6464845.cms

Of This and That....

Today's Indian Express carries a photograph captioned 'When Hunger Turns to Anger', depicting a victim of the flood in Pakistan, trying to throttle another victim apparently because the latter was trying to snatch food or preventing the former from getting food.
The latest hit film is Peepli Live, a satire on farmer suicide and focussing on the hopelessness of their lives. The flood victims of Leh continue to suffer even as reconstruction efforts are underway. Farmers in Aligargh are agitating, demanding higher compensation for their land.
The papers are also full of Vedanta and the latest richest Indian, Anil Agarwal, whose networth is estimated almost one and a half lakh crores.
If we were earlier unaware, of the chasm existing between the haves and the have nots it is made clear as one reads reports like these. We do concede that a purely equitable society is idealistic and to be very honest, is also unachievable. But yet, the difference need not be so wide. How can we as a society continue to exist when we are aware that even as we blow money on our comforts and luxuries, there are many who go to bed hungry and cold. This is not a rhetorical question, but one we truly need to ask and find an answer to, and the manner we choose to make amends, will reflect the society we want to create.
One could argue that all are not born equal, that one has a right to enjoy one's own hard earned money. Fair enough and we have no arguments with that but is it also not right that opportunities be made available to all ? Can we, sitting comfortably in our air-conditioned homes and looking for ways to invest money, not spare a thought for those less fortunate and in need of our time, our money, our resources, our expertise?
Thoughts like these perhaps prompted 40 US billionaires, motivated and led by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet to pledge their money to charity. There are critics who wonder whether the pledge had to be public and was it publicity the billionaires were seeking. But we do not think so and would like to believe that the billionaires made public their intention hoping that others would follow their lead. We hope so too and in India, we do have corporate leaders devoting their time to spread the word about the Joy of Giving Week. Meanwhile unfazed by criticism, Gates Buffet are trying hard to convince their European counterparts to pledge their wealth to charity.
We may not be billionaires or even millionaires, but the little we have can be shared and let us resolve to do that during the Joy of Giving Week this year.

Redeeming our Pledge

This is what we wrote on the 13th of August 2009:

India is gearing up to celebrate Independence Day and usher in the festival season. This is that time of year, when our achievements as a country are faithfully recounted by the media, the time when we promise to redeem our pledge to become a developed nation and take pride in our status as a thriving democracy. This year, all this will take place under the shadow of the Swine Flu. But even as the threat of the H1N1 virus looms large, we forget that there are many other shadows that are invisible but yet are a reality to millions of Indians : poverty, child labour, illiteracy, displacement, malnutrition, domestic violence, physical, mental and sexual abuse, unemployment, ignorance and the list could go on.

On a first reading, nothing appears to have changed; we are still battling all the above along with Swine Flu and malaria, there is rampant corruption especially with the Commonwealth Games, Kashmir is seething, Leh is suffering because of floods, honour killings are more the norm than the exception and the list could go on.

Yet, one is hopeful and optimistic that positive changes are taking place slowly but surely and what is heartwarming is that these changes are mostly spearheaded by children. What else can explain the overwhelming response to Design for Change, an event that is a part of the Joy of giving Week. The Design for Change inspires children to identify a social problem and design a solution . This year, children from 24 countries are participating in this event, that appropriately begins on the 15th of August. By participating in this event, the children not only gain an insight into the problems of the community, but also learn to empathise. This is the manner in which an inclusive society can be built, by ensuring that our children walk with the ones who need the most support.
As we gear up to celebrate 63 years of Independence , let us all take a moment off to redeem our pledge to each other as Indians and promise to care and to share and forge relationships to build an all inclusive society where each one of us is accepted and treated with dignity. As the first of the JGW event kicks off on the 15th of August, let that be our promise. Let us learn from our children as they discover solutions to problems not of their making. A Joyous and Giving Independence Day to all our readers.

For those who would like to read last years' post, here is the link:
http://joyofgivingweek.blogspot.com/2009/08/towards-freedom.html

A Detour

Blogging about the Joy of Giving Week is not easy, because there is so much we would like to say that we do not know where to begin. Do we write about the Week specifically, do we focus on stories of giving, do we draw attention to the good work done by CSR s in corporates, do we keep you updated on events, help you with ideas on how you could participate, or do we concentrate on our Brand Ambassadors and the manner in which they help promote the Week ? So many areas and all of it merits equal attention because they are all important aspects that need to be written about. The posts in this blog have at sometime or the other, addressed all these issues and will continue to do so.

However, the one issue that many are curious about is how did the idea of the JGW originate. To this, there is really no clear answer, for no one, not even Give India that co-ordinated the festival last year and will do so this year too, is in a position to clarify this. One would like to think that the concept sprung from one of those Eureka moments. But a Eureka moment comes only when an idea has existed in the subconscious. Perhaps the idea of Joy of Giving Week has been dormant in many of us and just needed somebody to give it a voice. Only that can explain the unprecedented and unforseen popularity of the Week in its very year of inception.

The JGW aims to turn us all for a week at least into people who care and share. For a week we will not be selfish humans looking after our own interests but affectionate humans who can empathise. For a week we will forget the "weariness, the fever and the fret/ Here where men sit and hear each other groan." For a week, we will like Keats was, be transported into a world where the Nightingale sings with pure undulterated joy. Such will be our reward when we participate in the week long festival of giving between the 26th of Sept., and the 2nd of Oct.

Youth and JGW

Amongst the biggest impact of the Joy of Giving Week has been the manner in which it has aimed to engage the youth. A previous post has articulated the involvement of school children. Today we share with you news about the innovative and wholehearted participation of college students in the JGW in an endeavour aptly called "Joyfest'; literally a festival of joy. Anchored by XLRI Jamshedpur, over 100 colleges signed up for the weeklong festival of giving in 2009. As Fr.Abraham Director of XLRI put it, "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.”

The colleges were free to organise their own events in the manner they choose, the only condition being that the motive should be to enagage in giving. Hence we had colleges raise resources in fun ways, engage the disadvantaged especially children in activities, signup to be a part of the Vastra Samman campaign co-ordinated by Goonj, visit the elderly, clean the neighbourhood, promote safety awareness, civic consciousness and many more. It is practically impossible to share with you the many innovative ideas the students came up with or to share the empathy and concern the young display to those in need. So we leave you with a link to the Joyfest site where you will be able to read about 2009 Joyfest and track it during the current Joy of Giving Week, to be held between 26th Sept., and 2nd Oct.

http://www.joyfest.in/index.asp

JGW '10 Marches Ahead

With about 60 days to go for the Joy of Giving Week 2010, initiating and planning events for the Week, have begun to pick up across the country and more clarity is emerging on the events during JGW '10. We have already updated you in earlier posts on JGW '10 in Chennai and Hyderabad.

http://joyofgivingweek.blogspot.com/2010/07/jgw-2010-in-hyderabad.html

http://joyofgivingweek.blogspot.com/2010/07/towards-jgw-10.html

We have also got updates from Ahmedabad now and as in the other cities, there are a range of events planned to raise resources during Joy of giving Week. This includes a medical camp by Shalby Hospital, Art Training for children by umang Hutheesing, an auction and dinner date with celebrities hosted byb Radio Mirchi and of course the popular Joyfest in colleges and MAMs I am the Change film project. We are confident that in the days to come, Ahmedabad will unveil more events and will manage to raise more resources and attract more followers to the festival, the Joy of Giving Week.
One of the reasons for the unprecendented success and popularity of the festival in the very first year of inception is that it makes no demands, follows no set manner of celebration, is all inclusive and most important reconnects us with our innate need to belong, to share and to celebrate. It is our hope that the Joy of Giving Week 2010 to be celebrated between the 26th of Sept., and the 2nd of Oct., will soon rank amongst the most joyous festivals in India and perhaps abroad as well.

Be the Change

"Be the Change you Want to See in the World".

Words that have inspired and continue to inspire millions across the world. Gandhiji lived this mantra but unfortunately, in the decades since his assassination, to many, this thought provoking dictum has turned into a mere utterance. This is not because we as a people disregard this, but because we are caught up so much in the business of earning a living and making a life for ourselves and those we love, that we have forgotten that if our life has to change, the world has to change and we need to reflect that change.
It was with this intention that Riverside School Ahmedebad, organised and co-ordinated the Design for Giving contest as a part of the JGW 009. Over a thousand schools participated in this event and a jury of prominent design professionals evaluated the projects submitted and shortlisted 20 entries as worthy of high mention. The contest basically had students select a problem in the community that they would like to solve and work out a solution. The submitted entries displayed a remarkable maturity and ranged from keeping school premises clean, to recognising the important role mothers play in our lives by asking for a Mothers' Day every Sunday; cleaning garbage dumps and campaigning against the use of plastic, raising much needed resources for Aanganwadis to mention just a few of the many entries. For more on this, visit www.designforchangecontest.com

It is heartening and humbling when children set out to solve problems in practical and novel ways in the process enriching all our lives by making it more meaningful. That the change we would like to see in the world needs to have its genesis in each one of us is something none of us would deny but it needs to be reinforced. By involving children in this process,The Design for Giving, brings to the metamorphosis of society, a continuity that will hopefully endure.
With participation from abroad this year, the Design for Giving during JGW 2010 promises to throw up more solutions to the problems we face. To register or read more about the JGW 10 visit www.joyofgivingweek.ning.com

JGW 2010 in Hyderabad

Last year, Hyderabad enthusiastically embraced the JGW along with other cities. The participation cut across all age groups and the events were also diverse; a book launch with Amala, activities for children and senior citizens at Aurora College, collection of clothes for Vastra Samman, co-ordinated by Goonj and of course the well publicised and major fund-raiser Shadow a CEO, initiated by ISB.
Hyderabad seems to have decided to surpass its last years performance this year during JGW, as the events planned so far seem to indicate.
The ISB of course will be inviting students of other business schools to participate in the Shadow a CEO this year. Students of Aurora College have again planned a week long festival of giving. the other events range from a Musical Nite, to a piggybank in companies, a Heritage Auction, Blood Donation, special events for children, a Seva Mela and many more that are yet to be registered.
It is heartening that all sections of society are catered to and one hopes that the resources raised would benefit the many who are in need.
But more importantly, in Hyderabad as in other places, the JGW helps us to reach the inner recesses of our soul for it reinforces the often forgotten lesson that it is in giving that we truly receive. Giving is Divine; when we recognise this, we will find that it is easy to give and giving then becomes for us an act as natural as breathing.

JGW and Empathy

When first introduced to the concept of JGW last year, most of us would confess to having been a little cynical about the idea. "Why devote a week to giving?", "Does giving have to stop when the week is over?", was the common refrain. I do not think many of us would have visualised that the JGW would make such a tremendous impact and captured the imagination of people from all parts of the country and in some corners abroad as well. The reason for this could be that somewhere in our fast paced and highly individualistic lives, we began to lose the ability to empathise and really connect with others. The JGW gave us an opportunity to do that and as Hussain says, we began to give not just because we had too much, but also because we know what it is like to not have. We are not talking only about material goods, but also about not having friends, to not have someone to talk to, play with, share with, spend time with. And so it was that during JGW 2009, people of all age groups and from all over India, connected and empathised and gave of themselves freely. We had students from a school in Gangtok spend time with and bathe and clean children from a school for the mentally challenged. We had students visit the elderly, visit orphanages, arrange a treat for them, and most important spend time with them. Many such events have been written about in our earlier posts.
Of all the gifts one receives in life, what is most treasured is to have someone tell us they are there for us and that they understand. Empathy is inherent in all of us. Unfortunately, very rarely do we recognise its presence. By willingly being a part of the JGW, we are in a way going back to our roots and walking in each other's shoes.
Let us mark our calendars for JGW 2010, between the 6th of Sept., and the 2nd of Oct. Let us give thanks for what we have and let us be there for each other. That is the way to a lasting peace and harmony in the world.

Shadow a CEO

Amongst the many innovative events held to raise resources for charity during the JGW 09, Shadow a CEO would definitely rank as one that combined learning with charity. Owned by the ISB Hyderabad, the event saw students of this prestigious school bid to shadow a CEO of their choice for a day. Twentysix much admired and emulated top corporate leaders willingly participated in this auction that saw 1, 196 bids and raised around Rs6.8 lakhs for charity. Amongst the CEOs who participated were N R Narayana Murthy, Chairman of the Board and Chief Mentor, Infosys Technologies, Adi Godrej, Chairman, The Godrej Group; Deepak Parekh, Chairman, HDFC; K V Kamath, MD & CEO, ICICI Bank; Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairman and MD, Biocon Ltd.; Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group; and Rajat Kumar Gupta, Chairman, The ISB and Senior Partner Emeritus, McKinsey & Company and many others of equal calibre.

How did this concept work? it is basically very simple; students bid to spend a day with a leader of their choice and the highest bidder spent one day observing and learning with their chosen CEO. The CEO in turn matched the bid made by the student with an equal grant to a previously chosen charity. To use a cliche, it was a win-win situation for all; the student, the charity chosen and the CEO also for as Mr.Narayan Murthy said . he felt very happy that a young, intelligent person with a great future had chosen to spend a day with him. Probed further as to who he would have chosen to spend a day with, Mr. Murthy's reply was Mahatma Gandhi. To quote : "It has to be Mahatma Gandhi, there is absolutely no doubt at all because he is one leader that has had tremendous influence on me. Because of a very simple reason, he led by example. He walked the talk. That has been the corner stone of my philosophy that is how I have conducted myself all these years and meeting Mahatma Gandhi, spending time with him would have been absolutely dream come true for me."

Why would a business school devote time to an event that on the face of it has no monetary value? This is best answered by the Dean of ISB, Ajit Ragnekar when he says that :

“The ISB believes that social responsibility is a vital aspect of doing business and it is this belief that drives us to associate and participate in the Joy of Giving Week through the ‘Shadow a CEO’ programme. We encourage our students to take on socially responsible ventures and use the power of business to improve society.”

This year, the ISB hopes to allow students from other Business schools to participate in Shadow a CEO. When that happens, not only will more learning take place because more students can participate, but resources raised will also multiply especially with generous CEOs like Adi Godrej, who actually doubled the amount bid by an enthusiastic student.

We will keep you posted here on the bidding process and progress for Shadow a CEO during JGW 10.

Anonymous Givers

We hope a wave will sweep across India from the 26th of Sept., to the 2nd of Oct., this year. This wave, we hope, will cut across all barriers and will be truly inclusive as we celebrate the Joy of Giving. This festival takes its inspiration from the ordinary Indian, who has a basic generosity of spirit as is witnessed when we come out in large numbers to help during flood, earthquake, accident or other unfortunate occurences. All those who help at such times fade away into obscurity after having done their bit.

This post is a tribute to some of these anonymous Indians, who have made it their life's mission to share their time, money, skills or other resources to spread some light, hope and joy in the lives of others.

These are the people like AnandKumar and Abhayanand, a Mathematician and DIG of police, who together run the Ramanujan school of mathematics in Bihar, that ensures that the poorest aspirants of IIT are given free coaching every year. There is Muhammed Sharif who ensures that unclaimed bodies are given a decent burial. There is Nur, who releases caged birds in memory of his son who was swept away in a tidal wave. Vandana the founder member of The Banyan, picked up a mentally ill destitute woman off the streets and went on to build up a home for the mentally ill destitute. There is also Vinod Sreedhar, who goes about performing Random Acts of Kindness, one of which is to smile at strangers and pass on some happiness, by asking a rickshaw driver to share a cup of tea with him, after ferrying him.

There are also groups of individuals coming together for a cause. The members of the Rohan Nilay society in Aundh, Pune, for eg. raised a sum of 1.2 lakhs in year by selling their newspapers. This money has been earmarked for the education of the needy.

Singhvi, a CA, in Mumbai has quit his professional practice and made it his mission to green the Yeeor Hills near Thane. Under the Hariyali Project, he spends his own money to buy and nurture saplings. In order that the current generation understands the importance of nurturing the greenery we have, he invites school children each year to plant the saplings during the monsoon.

It is because of our basic nature to help that the response to JGW was widespread. Along with various initiatives underaken by NGOs and corporates to raise funds during the week, what was heartening was that the individual citizen came out in large numbers to ensure his/ her participation in various ways: by volunteering time, skills, money. The spirit of giving seemed to have permeated into the soul of every individual. There was no cynicism here, no expectations and no rules, only humility and joy.

Reintroducing JGW

It might seem a little absurd to talk about the concept of the Joy of Giving Week again because one has been writing about it and you have been following our posts since last year. But as we inch toward the Joy of Giving Week 10, it is likely that many more would begin to read these posts and for their benefit as well as ours, (it is always better to refresh one's memory and clear misconceptions), we think it is important to devote a post to reintroduce the concept of JGW.

What exactly is the Joy of Giving Week? It is as we have said in our earlier posts, a week devoted to charitable or philantropic acts, a festival of philantropy, that we hope over the years will become a part of our ethos. It is a festival which by its very nature belongs to each one of us, is owned by nobody, is all inclusive, sets no rigid boundaries or rules regarding the mode of celebration. Launched successfully in 2009, volunteers across the country and abroad, co-ordinated this 'pan Indian' festival. This year too, the JGW to be held between the 26th of Sept and the 2nd of Oct., has scores of volunteers working to ensure its success.

Innovative and inspiring events were held during JGW '09 which also saw celebrity and media support for this unique concept, all of which helped raise not only much needed resources, but also our collective consciousness towards giving. To know more about the JGW 09, please follow this link:

http://joyofgivingweek.blogspot.com/2010/04/measuring-impact-of-jgw-09.html
How can one be a part of this movement? Simple, all one has to do is to plan a 'giving event'. In case you are stuck for ideas, get in touch or visit our website where we will shortly have an idea bank to help you get started. If you have your own ideas, that's great and you can share them with us and register your event. More about JGW:
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Key features of JGW

1. JGW does not belong to any organisation, it is an 'open format' movement owned by the people of India. After a few years, we hope it will become like Diwali or Ganeshotsav or Holi, a festival of giving celebrated all over the country.
   
2. It is to be abbreviated as JGW
   
3. Any giving activity [time, money, skills, resources] is encouraged, people can create their own events or participate in others. corporate volunteer activities, clothes collection drives, fundraising concerts or dinners, visiting orphanages/elderly homes, etc. are all welcome ways to participate.
4. CREATIVE giving events are welcome- JGW2009 saw many innovations like CEOs walking the ramp or being shadowed for a cause, or 5 star hotels 'collaborating' in a big battle of buffets, or Tendulkar auctioning a cricket coaching camp for charity.
5. There are only 2 major restrictions-
• Events can be classified as part of JGW only if some significant part of the event is happening during the Week, or if it is a systematically orchestrated build up to something large in the Week.
  
• Likewise, events have to be about 'GIVING' to the less fortunate. They should not be commercially driven
  
6. JGW is co-ordinated by a bunch of volunteers all over India. Each of 10 cities has a co-ordinator, and 'vertical owners' who drive different 'verticals' like corporates, schools, colleges, ngos, etc. JGW doesn't have any employees, as it is not an organisation.

Towards JGW 10

While we have been reporting on the various events of the Joy of giving Week '09, work for the Joy of Giving Week '10 has been going on. A festival of this scale, where each one of us can participate, can only be successful when planning begins much in advance. It is also necessary to reach out to as many as possible, both to spread joy and to raise resources. What better way to do this than through the media? We have been lucky that newspapers, television channels, and the radio have come forward to help us spread our message of giving. Again there has been interaction between the government, the NGO and the corporate, which has helped us to reach out to more sections of society. We are confident that this interaction will continue this year too. Meanwhile, here is a link to take you to whjat is in store for Chennaites this year during JGW.
From The Hindu and the Times of India http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Chennai/article482817.ece
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOICH%2F2010%2F06%2F24&ViewMode=GIF&GZ=T&PageLabel=2&EntityId=Ar00203&AppName=1

As the reports show there is a lot of enthusiasm generated for JGW and we are confident that this will only increase in the coming weeks and Chennai will go out of its way to raise much needed resources and to spread joy during JGW 10. As the weeks go by, we will bring in more reports from other parts of the country. Be there for us and for yourselves, to experience joy.

JGW 09 in Cochin

Even as one gears up for JGW 2010, we continue to be amazed and overwhelmed by 'giving' stories that we come across about the Joy of Giving Week, 09. Here is one from Cochin that we did'nt know of. The information has been shared by a young engineer,Jisha, in Cochin Square and the picture she has posted says it all.

"As part of Gandhi Jayanti celebrations this year, the Joy of Giving Week, an initiative by an NGO ‘Give India’, will be held from September 27 to October 3. The students of Adarsh Charitable Trust will be given a grand dinner with a celebrity guest at Hotel Mercy and Hotel Abad Plaza on September 27 and 30. The children will be entertained with magic by magician Gopinath Muthucad and singer G Venugopal will be singing some beautiful songs for them. Many more celebrities are likely to attend the dinner. Around 50 students are selected for the ‘dinner with the celebrity’ night.

Anybody who wishes to be a part this function, can join in. You can dine for a cause and a share of the profit will go to Adarsh. One can contribute money, skills or resources during this week. Corporates can contribute their one-day’s salary or provide study materials for the students of Adarsh. A voluntary medical camp will be organized by the students of Ayurveda College at Adarsh during the week. Even you can contribute whatever you can. Every bit counts. Give as much or as little as you wish to."

Every drop counts may sound cliched but that is exactly what the above article emphasises as it exhorts us to 'give as much or as little" as we wish to. Let us remember that this year during Joy of Giving Week 2010.
If you have more such stories, please do share them with us.

Inspiration

We take a break from writing about events related to JGW specifically, to share with you stories from The Times of India, stories about anonymous Indians for whom giving is as natural as breathing.

Indrani Rajkhowa Banerjee reports:

You don’t need much to be an everyday philanthropist. As Ajit Singh Narulla from Delhi’s Rajouri Garden realised. A real estate builder, Narulla and his friends set out on mini trucks every evening with potable water tanks to distribute drinking water in the shanties of west Delhi. Narulla says, “These shanties have no water supply and it can be terrible in Delhi’s punishing heat. We thought that we could help by getting a little proactive.” They take turns and bear the expense themselves. “The remaining water is used to fill huge earthen pots that we’ve installed in strategic points in Rajouri,” he adds.

A Parsi from Kutch, Mrs Chheda unflinchingly delivers five litres of buttermilk everyday for the three summer months at a nearby milk booth to be distributed amongst the thirsty vendors, watchmen and taxi drivers.

Delhi-based businessman Nitin Gupta’s family doesn’t make offerings to priests on shraadh ceremonies. The entire family shares food and spends the day playing antakshri with blind kids from an orphanage in Vikaspuri, Delhi on such occasions. “There is so much hunger around that food never gets wasted here,” says a known lady restaurateur from Delhi, letting out a trade secret. “The leftover food in every restaurant is eaten by the waiters and their families.” Five-star hotels like the Taj Palace Delhi gives away surplus food to Father Agnel Bal Bhavan, a hostel for lepers. The Le Meridien gives excess food to Asian Food Bank and other leftovers to People for Animals. Meridien regularly gives wilted flowers to an NGO for women and children where natural colour is turned into dye. The remaining food from the Times of India Mumbai’s director and executive canteens goes to Pavement Club, a project for street and underprivileged children.

If you’ve wondered about the authenticity of those mute donation boxes in malls, we would say it’s safe to dip into your wallet. Pradyuman of CRY, Delhi, says, “Though the percentage of these collections is less than donations from corporates and individuals, it definitely helps our cause.”

Prasad Dhume, a former engineer, gave up his job to dedicate full time to the cause of those who have their upper knee amputated, by providing them low-cost artificial limb accessories.

What is it that drives these people to do what they have been doing, with no thought for publicity or personal reward? Perhaps Dhume has the answer when he says, "Giving is our culture.", and we need to remember this as we gear up for the Joy of Giving Week, 2010.

Celebrating JGW

When we go through the feedback we have received after the Joy of Giving Week 2009, we are amazed not just at the enthusiasm and willingness to embrace the JGW as everyone's festival, but are also overwhelmed at the detailed planning that has gone into the participation. What is particularly gratifying is the involvement of a large number of youngsters from schools and colleges, for these are the Changemakers of the future. Of the many stories we will be sharing with you from schools and colleges across the country, here is one from LIBA (Loyola Institute of Business Administration), Chennai.
The students of LIBA, had unconditional support of their faculty as they planned a week long celebration starting with an inagural function on the very first day of JGW, the 27th of Sept., 09, the students visited an orphanage to spend time with mentally challenged children, decided to green the environment by planting trees, co-ordinated with Shankar Nethralaya and organised an eye donation drive in college, also collected clothes as a part of the Vastrasamman drive co-ordinated by Goonj, cleaned the area around the college and hostel and began work on creating a beautiful garden in the vicinity of the college, while simultaneously empathising with the rag pickers who make a living collecting garbage.
The students however, did not forget their education and thoughtfully organised a lecture on Social Entrepreneurship by Mr.Mahadevan of Oriental Cuisines. Mr.Mahadevan is a social entrepreneur who employs a large number of the disadvantaged and was instrumental in organising the Battle of the Buffet in Chennai, during JGW 09. The students got some valuable lessons on social responsibility from him.
The impact of the events in JGW at LIBA is best expressed in the words of a student who says, " the people who have felt the Joy of Giving, will celebrate the Joy of Giving Week everyday of their lives. "
These are inspiring words that we could remember as we get ready for JGW 10.

Gifting a New Life

Amongst the many events organised by anonymous and caring citizens of India during the Joy of Giving Week '09, are those that were aimed at creating awareness about issues of health. This included awareness programs abour Cochlear Implants, blood donation, disseminating information about Swine Flu, awareness about organ donation etc.
The staff of ZCCK, Bangalore had a talk about organ donation in their office and to demonstrate their sincerity, that it was not just talk, they had donor cards that employees signed after informing their families. Information was also given about registering for organ transplants in case needed. The three staff members of the company who organised this hope to have a larger pool of volunteers next time in order to create more awareness.
Bangalore also saw a blood donation drive, where volunteers donated blood to be used for the needy patients in NIMHANS. There was a little disappointment amongst the organisers that not many of the nyounger generation came forward to donate, but they hope to attract more next year by using Twitter to publicise their cause.
The Institute of Health Sciences in Bhubaneshwar, organised a Seminar on Cochlear Implants, a procedure that gives life a new meaning to some of those with Hearing Impairment.
Again on the 2nd of October, the Boral Multiproject Centre, organised a health check-up camp in Kolkatta, where in a matter of around 5 hours, around 130 patients were benefitted.

Make a difference

Those who find themselves unable to run in the Mumbai or the Delhi Marathons held each year, can always decide to walk for a cause. This is exactly what some employees of Maruti Suzuki decided to do during the JGW 09. The number of people who participated may be small in number, and funds raised were nil because fund raising was not their aim, volunteering for the future was. The employees organised a 'Walk for a Cause' to create awareness in society about lack of quality education for the underprivileged. They did this by requesting volunteers and concerned residents of Suncity, Sector 54 to walk holding hands on 2nd oct 09 during the JGW. The idea was to get residents to commit their time to teaching the socially disadvantaged.

And what did they learn from the event ? As they put it:

1. Awareness to the mass requires consistent and patient efforts from the people
2. Lot of efforts are required from every educated person to educate the lesser fortunate children
3. _Everything starts from within and hence one must try to help these very capable children to make our India reach pinnacle
The number of those impacted in this event were small, but as we have said earlier, each individual and every idea contributes towards spreading the collective idea, the Joy of Giving and helps make the Joy of Giving Week a success. So those who would like to participate this year, but fear they may not be able to engage or impact many, need not worry for your participation can make a difference.

In Their Words

Those who have been following our posts would probably wonder how we manage to keep you all updated about the various events, big and small, that were a part of JGW 09. The fact is that the JGW team has been working hard after the festival was over, to collect and collate feedback from all those who registered their events at the JGW website (it will be up soon for you to register this year), as also with those who participated but did not register. It has been a marathon task and the efforts of those involved in the whole excercise needs to be applauded. We are copying below, a sample update that one participant sent.

Update Form

Name of the Event: Appreciation giving day
Date of the Event: 29 Sept, 30 Sept and 1 October
City/Town Where the Event took Place: mumbai
Depending on the type of event held:
Volunteering (No. of volunteers engaged/participated): ~ 350 employees in Sandoz House
Awareness (Approx. No. of people reached): >700

Donation/fundraising (Amount of funds raised):_~ Rs 45,000

A Description of how the event was:
This event was a big success with employees vying with one another to give and receive appreciation. A Rs 5 bar of chocolate was sold for Rs 10 along with a blank card. Employees could choose where their contribution went from a basket of NGOs. Employees wrote their own personal messages and handed over a bar of chocolate with a message card to anyone they chose. There was a spirit of competition with surprises announced for the top 3 givers and the top 3 receivers as well as to an Appreciation Champion who motivated employees on the floor to buy the maximum number of cards. Feedback from employees has been tremendous

Learnings from the Event held:
1. Generated a tremendous feeling of goodwill among employees and third party service staff
2. Created a buzz within the office
3. Employees felt it served a dual purpose and would like it to be repeated
Please Attach Pictures of the Event:
Unfortunately, not all participats had pictures to share but the joy of giving is felt in the words. Be a part of the joy this year. Participate in JGW '10, between Sept. 26th and Oct. 2nd. As you can see from this update, it is so easy to spread joy.

A Right to Enjoy

A majority of us seem to believe that the economically disadvantaged need to be helped with food, clothes, money, medicines, education and so on. These according to us are the basics of every human and need to be met before other wants like recreation can be met. But we forget that the disadvantaged are like us and would like to experience the state of happiness we undergo when we indulge in a preferred activity but we, with good intentions, unknowingly deny them that state of pleasure and enjoyment because we believe that for them it is a luxury and when basics are missing, why should luxury be given is our reasoning.. Why should it be so? Why cannot those who do not have enough for 3 meals a day, for those who do not know where their next meal will come from and if at all it will come, also not experience joy in doing something as simple as walking on the beach, taking a bus ride, dancing to live music or watching a movie?

This was the thought that crossed the minds of some youth in Patiala and they decided that as a part of JGW 09, they would treat some economically disadvantaged children to a movie. That is just what they did and some 25 children went to watch Salman Khan’s movie ‘Wanted’ at Tagore theatre in Patiala. To those who organized the treat, the reward was the happy faces of the children as they watched a movie with popcorn and other eats thrown in. It must not have been easy for these youngsters, convincing parents to part with heir children, especially in the case of girls but their perseverance paid off and 25 happy children watched with delight as Salman Khan pranced about on screen. “They also have a right to enjoy”, was the inspiration for this treat and we must do all we can to ensure this, is the message for us.

Developing Capabilities

We, who have been working behind the screens for JGW, feel overwhelmed at the manner in which the concept of the Joy of Giving Week has caught the imagination of all. We have no words to express our gratitude as companies, colleges, schools, individuals, NGOs all came forward to participate and participate wholeheartedly and meaningfully. One such thoughtful participation, is by the Sheraton Park in Chennai, which chalked out a programme for the week, from 29th Sept. to 3rd Oct. 09. Their programme, the schedule which is copied below, as you can see, focused on developing the capability of and empowering the individual, in such a manner that he or she would be better equipped to handle their lives, including their work. Nurses and domestic workers were put through a training programme to develop soft skills. The training concentrated on personal hygiene, safety standards, telephone etiquette, basic communication, grooming and so on. For those working in NGOs, the training was in Basics of Finance including Taxation.

Such training would have gone a long way in developing the confidence of the participants and enabling them to believe more in themselves. This was a really thoughtful gesture and a wonderful celebration of the Joy of Giving Week.

Daydream to Dream Day

This is the title of a wonderful event held in Bhubaneshwar during the JGW 09. This was a special event for children and as the name suggests, it was an event where the organizers worked towards making the daydreams of the children come true.

Children from Sikharchandi slums of Bhubaneshwar, were taken for a joy rinde in a car, met with the famous Oriya actor hari Hari Mohapatra, went for a movie, lunch at a restaurant, ice creams at an ice cream parlour, gifts, chocolates and all that children love, especially those children who can only dream about some of the experiences they were presented with.

The number of volunteers who engaged in this event were 11, but the children who found their dreams come true were many.

Such a Dream Day, was also a part of the JGW celebrations at the Rotary Doll’s Museum in Rajkot, where entrance fee was waived for children during the duration of the week. Due to this, more than 8000 children could visit the museum, many of them from needy families. As the Project Co-ordinator of the museum Deepak Agarwal writes,

“It was satisfying to see children from lower strata enjoying the place , their astonishing eyes, priceless smiles, we thank JOG people for spreading the idea of Giving.”

But we believe that we at the JGW team need to thank those who have taken initiatives like these to spread the Joy of Giving.

JGW: Images

It may sound cliched but it is true that images do speak louder than words. While we have written earlier about the tremendous interest the Joy of Giving Week generated in its year of inception, and the impact it has had in terms of raising our collective consciousness towards giving in general, a video, the link to which is copied below, reinforces all that has been said earlier. It summarises what India can be when we come together for a cause, each one of us, collectively, simply to experience the joy, the Joy of Giving.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Nn9JODHC2g

In case there is a problem in accessing this link, please do search for joy of giving week on YouTube and there are many videos one could watch,all of which will hopefully inspire us to come together to make the Joy of Giving Week 2010 bigger and better in terms of contribution of time and resources to those who need it.

JGW and CHILDLINE

One of the invisible but enduring benefits of the Joy of Giving week, has been the linkages established between the corporates, the NGOs, the government and the private individual. All have come together to contribute time and resources, to make a difference in society. The benefits of such a linkage will hopefully be long lasting and continued.

Connections like these are what enabled CHILDLINE to organize events across India during JGW 09. CHILDLINE, a NGO, runs a 24 hour telephone Helpline for vulnerable children in distress. Initially begun in Mumbai, it currently functions in around 80 cities in India. They do need resources to help them going and the organization leveraged the opportunity provided by the JGW to raise resources and to spread joy amongst the disadvantaged children. They organized events for the whole week in cities as varied as Jammu, Gorakhpur, Kolkatta, Mumbai, Ahmedabad to name a few.

In Kolkotta, the NGO partnered with Park Hotel to host a party for children in need. In Delhi, Park Hotel again partnered CHILDLINE and raised funds through tambola and ‘Cheesecakes for a Smile’ campaign.

Ahemdabad had a complete week of outings for children who visited many places ranging from the zoo, to the Shatabdi express at Gomtipur Station to the Sabarmati Ashram. Art and craft, dandiya, drawing etc were also organized for them.

Even the small town of Gorakhpur found altruism was in full strength as small merchants and businesses came forward to print leaflets, donate resources and host tables to raise money for CHILDLINE.

Jammu had painting competitions with the involvement of Zilla parishad officials and in Mumbai, the corporates came out in full strength to support the initiatives of CHILDLINE duing JGW. Tata Tele Services, Mphasis Software, Deolitte both encouraged their employees to contribute and also patronized the cafeteria set up in these organizations by volunteers of CHILDLINE to raise funds during JGW.

But the icing on the cake was of course the contribution of Mr.Adi Godrej, who very magnamiously contributed 4 times the bid amount of Rs17,000 made by a student of ISB, who won that opportunity in ‘Shadow a CEO’, again a JGW event. The student who got the opportunity to 'shadow' Mr.Godrej, had chosen CHILDLINE as his NGO to contribute to. A wonderful way of ensuring that more children in distress continue to be helped, in the process also contributing to many smiles. Spread the joy; in the Joy of Giving Week 2010.

Give Everyone

The joy of giving can't be defined or measured. It can only be felt,
again and again, in more ways than we can imagine.

These are the words used by an enthusiastic student from Aurora College Hyderabad, as he wrote to the JGW team about his experiences. The students of Aurora Degree and PG College, took it upon themselves to popularize the concept of the Joy of Giving Week in their city. Displaying great organizational skills, the students divided themselves into groups and allotted tasks for each group, and no task was considered too small for the students. So while some wrote addresses and stuck envelopes to inform all about JGW, yet others were in charge of collecting material that was being donated to be distributed to various NGOs working for those in need. The envelopes carried a message exhorting the receiver to ‘spread the joy of giving, and spread smiles.’

JGW began in this college much before it was formally ushered in on the 27th of Sept. 09. The students began their initiative on the 19th of Sept. and continued with their collection drive till the 30th, after which the goods collected were handed over personally to previously identified NGOs. The students felt they learnt a lot through this experience and look upon it as a learning one for they learnt to work as a team, to plan, to implement and then to evaluate. But perhaps the most important learning the students got was the realization that real and lasting happiness is to be found in spreading joy and smiles by giving generously and working for others. To quote a student again, “Be a part of something big, in your own small ways and put a smile on several faces including yours. Give everyone.”

Spreading Smiles

When one goes through the enormous amount of feedback received from participants in the JGW 09, one wonders which of these should be written about. We have in an earlier post, spoken about measuring the impact of JGW.
http://joyofgivingweek.blogspot.com/2010/04/measuring-impact-of-jgw-09.html

Is the impact to be measured in terms of resources raised or is it to be measured in terms of people reached out to and to the smiles that lit up faces. This dilemma continues to haunt while choosing events to highlight. Much as we would like to write about all those who went out of their way to participate and make the JGW a success, it is just not possible.

Do we then choose to write about the big events wherein celebrities participated, the media was in full attendance and a lot of resources were raised, or do we focus on the small events in small towns wherein individuals came forward to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate and the reach may not have been much, but yet the impact felt was tremendous? It is the latter stories that touch ones sensitivities and inspires one to also contribute towards spreading smiles.

Just such a story has come our way. On the 2nd of October 09, a group of people from the city of Bhubaneshwar, decided to spend a day at an old age home. They write about the smiles that met them at the home, the sheer joy the inhabitants of the home displayed at their unexpected visit and ‘forbidden delights’ as the food they treated the residents of the home to was called. The visitors learnt of the deep grief most of these old people had and of their longing to be loved and welcomed. As the inhabitants shared their touching stories with the visitors, stories of abandonment, of despair, the latter found that “they had no words to console.”

Did the visitors then go away with sadness ? Not really for as one of them observed, it was only when alone that these old people were sad, otherwise the solidarity and good cheer they displayed was infectious. What then was the lesson learnt? To spread smiles and joy and devote time and give of oneself to the grandparents at home.

Truly a wonderful celebration of Gandhi Jayanthi during JGW 09.