City celebrates the ‘Joy of Giving’ week

Recently a group of hearing-impaired children joined hands with volunteers of a city-based organisation that launched 'TraffiKnights' — an event to raise awareness about traffic in the city.

The programme was part of a host of initiatives organised to celebrate 'Daan Utsav', also called the 'Joy of Giving' — a week-long programme that ended on Monday. The utsav is India’s ‘festival of giving’. Launched in 2009, the festival is celebrated every year — commencing on Gandhi Jayanti — from October 2 to 8.

The silicon city also celebrated the utsav on a huge scale with educational institutions, organisations and corporates joining hands to do their best for society.

As part of the 'TraffiKnights' initiative, over 500 volunteers, including members of 'Volunteer for a Cause (VFC)', and 'Giftabled' — a organisation empowering the differently abled — created a human chain from The Forum mall in Koramangala to Sony World signal.

The volunteers insisted the drivers obey traffic rules, wear helmets and seat belts and reduce honking. They also put up a mime act and a play in sign language.

"Many hearing impaired and orphan kids volunteered alongside youngsters from the VFC to create traffic safety awareness among the residents. We also staged plays and put up mime acts under the theme 'Dream for No Accidents in Bangalore City - Accident-Free Nation' as part of the Daan Utsav initiative," said Prarthana Kaul, social entrepreneur and co-founder of Giftabled.

The volunteers of the Giftabled also visited and spent quality time with survivors of spinal cord injury at KRBAAS (Karnataka Rajya Bennuhuri Apaghatada Angavikalara Sangha) as part of the celebrations.

Euro kids, a playschool, organised an initiative wherein sandwiches made by parents, teachers and children were distributed to over 450 persons from disadvantaged communities including community helpers, street children and labourers among others.

In another initiative to celebrate the 'Joy of Giving', the students of Trio World School also launched an event to help improve the lives of more than 200 students of Government Primary and Upper Middle School in Kodigehalli.

As part of the initiative, several activities, such as distributing sports tracksuits to all students, construction of washing sinks, distributing stainless steel plates and glasses, installation of automated electronic timer bell, donating computers and various other materials to school were organised.

The students also volunteered to teach computer science to the government school students twice a week.

"Promoting giving has always been a significant aspect of TRIO. It’s really inspiring to see students celebrate Daan Utsav as a community with many acts of giving," said Naveen K M, MD at the Trio World School.