JOIN USSmall dreams turn big
When A B Bharath thought of saving Rs 50 every month two years ago - along with his mother and two friends - to help people in distress, little did he realise that his initiative would find the backing of 144 persons in just over two years.
Varadaam Charitable Association (VCA), started by Bharath (an engineering student at Vidya Vikas Institute of Engineering and Technology), his mother Rama Madhavan and friends Ashwini S (an engineering student at Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering) and Bharath Kumar S (an employee of Thoughtfocus) is now responsible for educating 27 children studying at the Government Primary School in Chamanahalli Hundi, a small hamlet on H D Kote Road in the district. Impressed by the yeoman service provided by VCA, 27 donors have already donated Rs 1,000 for sponsoring studies of similar children.
Speaking about the novel concept of saving Rs 50 per month, Bharath recalls that about two years ago he heard an announcement on a private radios station seeking donations to help a patients suffering from cancer.
Reminiscing, he said, “I collected Rs 300 from friends and my mother and gave it to the radio channel. It was our first and proudest moment of achievement to help an ailing cancer patient.”
The donation was just the beginning as Bharath and his group started giving out rations to orphanages and old age homes in the city.
Their first big donation drive happened almost a year later, when they undertook a book donation drive at Bogadi Government School. “They were 10 volunteers at that time. We distributed around 700 books,” he adds with a smile.
Asked if it didn’t cost too much to buy such a lot of books, Bharath said, “We went to stationery shop in Shivarampet to buy books. When the shopkeeper came to know that were doing it for a charitable purpose, he gave away all those books for only Rs 5,000.”
Continuing he said, ”If it wasn’t for him, we couldn’t have purchased so many books.”
In another instance, a tailor named Subbachari approached Bharath’s father for financial assistance. Simultaneously, VCA was planning to distribute uniforms to children of Chamanahalli Government High School. Bharath says, “When we heard about his plight, we gave the uniform material and paid the tailoring charges.” Similarly they employed the services of a cobbler in dire straits to make 100 pairs of shoes for children.
Apart from promoting educational activities, Varadaam has also conducted plantation of saplings in Vijayanagar, health check-up camps arranged at Halladamanuganahalli and Manikyapura in the district.
“The health camps were successful due to the voluntary participation of doctors such as Dr Ramesh and Dr Ravindra,” says Bharath.