The OWC is an organisation that brings together around 600 Bangalore-based expats, from all nationalities and walks of life. It is pledged to supporting and providing funds for 25 local charities. The road show was the perfect opportunity for these various charities to showcase the work done by their members. It also served as a platform wherein the members of the OWC could interact with the people that they were funding.
Each charity had put up a stall wherein they displayed some information about the work they were doing to help society, as well as a few products designed by their members.
Shrishti Special Academy, an organisation that provides help to special children, had brought several jute items that the kids had made, including brightly-coloured handbags, purses and photo-frames. Karthik, a volunteer at the organisation, said, “We segregate the children according to their mental abilities, and give them vocational training based on their capability.” The result was the wonderful array of products lined up at the stall.
A stall put up by ‘Ashraya’, an organisation that helps both children and women in distress, showcased a range of items made by the children under the umbrella of the association. This included some carpentry work, pottery, embroidered aprons, and napkins. Shobha, an ex-professor from Mount Carmel College who is now associated with the organisation, said that the help they’d been receiving from the OWC was invaluable.
“The OWC has been helping us, since its very inception, in a lot of different ways,” she said.
Other interesting items could also be found at the stall put up by ‘Belaku’, an organisation that helps underprivileged children. The children had made an assortment of necklaces, scarves and notepads at the block-printing and embroidery units that the organisation trained them in.
‘Sukrupa’, an association that provides aid to underprivileged children and women, displayed a variety of cloth pencil boxes, stuffed elephants and photo-frames that were made by the women in their fold. Another interesting stall was that of the ‘Divine Light Trust for the Blind’, which brought an array of items made by visually challenged people. These included sequinned purses, embroidered handkerchiefs and napkins and pillow cases.
Talking about the event, Kate, one of the members of the OWC, said, “We wanted to give our charities an opportunity to come together and talk about what they do. It’s also a way for all the OWC members to understand where their money goes, meet the charities and talk to them on a one-on-one basis. It’s all about increasing awareness and encouraging volunteering.”