Amidst Pandemic

                                                   
                                                                                        By Jyothsna

The pandemic has made our lives hard; it made our lives disastrous. From busy and colourful lives to the grim and gloomy lives it not only affected the country’s growth economically but also affected the lives of people, especially the lives of those who are poor because everything is shut down and is latched it’s hard for us to survive obviously but for the people who are poverty-stricken and the daily wage workers imagine how hard it is for them to deal with it and to sustain and get along the pandemic. It’s not only plaintive to see but dealing with it affects our social, mental and economic lives. It makes all of us feeble.

But if we come along, we can deal with it and will be duck suop. ‘Togetherness over solitary’ is going to make our lives better now dealing with pandemic so helping needy should be the main objective to make the pandemic less austere.

We the members of Enlightening Lives took a step to make the pandemic less innocuous and help the needy who are stricken by both pandemic and poverty. We have organized Chitraka photography contest. The pandemic made us slow down let’s make it pragmatic and make most of it by encountering nature our thoughts and positivity. We have to unveil the opportunity to capture the nature and to lose in thoughts of positivity.

The theme revolves around animal and nature photography. We posted the photography of contestants on our social media pages and the winner will be based on the number of likes. And we offered participation certificates to all our contestants. 

Our winners are 

1. Alekhyaa Choowdary

2. MD Athaur Rahaman

3. G. Rohith

Through the funds we received, we donated the basic commodities to the needy people who are striving hard to survive through the pandemic. The pandemic surely is the moment to let our humanity out and help needy and make their lives better. “The pandemic made us from being ‘I to us’ we are together fighting it through social distancing and so should we aid the needy people and the environment.”

Visit to AshaJyothi Foundation

                                                                                              BY AKSHAY JOSHI


                                

“The results of PHILANTHROPY are always beyond calculations,” said Miriam Beard.

One such experience struck the Enlightening Lives family at the ASHAJYOTHI FOUNDATION, JOGIPET. This prodigious two and a half hour journey to the ASHAJYOTHI FOUNDATION started at 8:30 in the morning and the first thing we did after reaching there by 11:00 AM, was the donation of clothes.

                                

Clothes were donated to each and every child residing in the ASHAJYOTHI FOUNDATION, we even took the pleasure in donating clothes to the workers of the foundation. We were overwhelmed that we could witness the purest form of happiness in the eyes of those children. They prayed for the growth of Enlightening Lives which was really a heart-warming gesture.

The most surprising thing was the boldness and talent those children possessed- they danced, sang along with us in ANTHAKSHARI and more surprisingly they came up on to the stage and spoke without any fear of mass gathering. This is something which even a few grown-ups can’t do. For a moment we felt like we were among some pocket dynamites who could achieve anything with the amount of intellect they possess.

We are grateful that we were asked to visit the other branch of the foundation in GAJWEL. Finally, we consider the 15th of March as a day to be remembered. We hope the prayers from those little hearts get answered so that our family grows big to serve humanity Forever and Ever! 

NGO DAY, 2020

                                                                                 By Sai Nithika

“The next evolutionary step for humankind is to move from man to kind” told a gentleman.

This quote is so deep and can change a person. We are born to love each other and help those who are in need. Consequently, many NGOs are formed across the world.  To celebrate the good deeds of various NGOs across the world, February 27th of every year is celebrated as "The World NGO Day". The World NGO Day provides an opportunity to honor and remember NGO founders, employees, volunteers, members, and supporters.

On this day, Enlightening Lives also had celebrated world NGO day. We aimed to spread awareness about our student chapter. As a part of it, we conducted various fun-filled events. We collected colorful handprints of the students in the college on a cloth in front of the Aryabhata block, as a symbol of serving those in need. This is also a unique way of representing the activities we have done for the orphanages with your valuable donations. This event has spread like a forest fire and everyone in the college came to know about us. Students are excited to make their impact both on cloth and other people's lives. Not just that but, it had also been a day when tons of memories were created with bright smiles and happy faces.

Many of them were extremely delighted to know about the activities we have done with their donations. Many students promoted Enlightening Lives through posts, stories, status, and hashtags.  That is how this day marked its importance in the lives of many students and as well as the team of Enlightening Lives.

Dhaan Utsav Distribution

                                                                                      By Devi Priya

"In this life, there is no greater power than to smile, no beauty greater than a genuine smile " And what if we make others smile?

There really wouldn’t be any form of happiness above that.

In the same way, the team of ENLIGHTENING LIVES thought to bring some happiness to the children staying in the 'Divya Disha' orphanage at Sangareddy.  The team totally had 21 members and went there by 10.00 am. There were a total of 16 children present at that time. The team had quality time with the children spending nearly 2 hours over there, playing games like carroms, chess, cricket, badminton, etc.

                       

The team tried out to bring out the talents in the young minds by encouraging them to sing and even dance. The team was awestruck realizing the talent the young kids possessed. They were also a few who were fond of drawing and are keen on doing it.

Finally, the team had distributed the clothes collected by them during the Dhaan Utsav along with some fruits, snacks, books, and pens. As per their wish on the last visit, the team was asked to get a dictionary and a drawing book that was handed to them.

"True happiness comes only by making others happy "

                       

After this, the team visited the Mental ward at Sangareddy and donated the clothes collected as a part of Dhaan Utsav. The patients over there were overwhelmed and one of them expressed their gratitude towards us saying that "We have been wearing these clothes from so many days. These are worn out. We are happy to see you bring something better for us. Thank you so much" It was a delight for the team to hear such words.

The team gave the remaining clothes and accessories to the 'GOOD WILL', which is a place in Sangareddy where we can donate clothes and any kind of goods.

It was indeed a really pleasant experience for the team who got to meet a variety of people and making a lot of memories. The team felt utmostly satisfied with the activities they have done.

 "Satisfaction is not always the fulfillment of what you want but, it is the realization of how blessed you are for what you have"

Visit to the Blind School

                                                                            -By Spandana

There comes a point in life when we realize that, we need to appreciate the life we have and the privileges that we are exposed to. There are so many children who are deprived of basic needs. This was one such instance to the entire team of Enlightening Lives, who made a visit to Louis Braille Educational Society for the Blind on 16^th  February 2020.

This blind school is located in Narsapur, Medak district and is run by Mr.Prabhakar. Mr. Prabhakar takes care of the 21 blind students in his school and is himself blind. These children's everyday life is an enormous challenge. Living through each day and fighting through it empowers them to achieve greater things. We must appreciate their will power to go through their struggles.

                      

Nine girls and six boys from BVRITN have visited the school. So, to be of some help and support to them, we gathered things that could be put to some help for them. We had donated them a few basic necessities such as rice bags, clothes, accessories, stationery, and other food items. Apart from these, we had also contributed a few braille slates, stylus and papers as well. To keep them entertained Chess Boards, Snakes and Ladders and Ludo also were given.

                     

For the volunteers of Enlightening Lives, it was truly an eye-opening experience to spend quality time with these kids. Irrespective of what they go through in their daily life, the innocent smiles fail to leave their faces. The time spent playing and bonding with them made us realize that no matter what may come in our ways, being happy is important. Visiting Louis Braille Educational Society for the Blind made us realize the value of life and helped us connect with people. Let's be thankful for the days we have and the opportunity to live life to the fullest.

Dhaan Utsav, 2020

                                                           BY R.JYOTHSNASREE

 

Dhaan Utsav, the great opportunity to show gratitude and giveaway the true sense of giving and making lives better. It’s the week where we celebrate the joy of giving. Dhaan Utsav-India’s festival of giving started all over India by various NGO’s to celebrate the joy of giving and to show true essence with gratitude towards our life.

     The true impact of life is evolved by giving away to people who are in need with same initiative to lend our helping hands to needy Enlightening Lives started the week to celebrate joy of giving .The Utsav of giving and lending a hand to people who are in need went from 20-25^th January where we divided the whole week into a meaningful essence of helping needy and had covered BVRITN, VIPER and Vishnu School in Narsapur.

 On 20-21^st January “Give for Good” was organized where we have collected the accessories, clothes and other goodies from people to help out needy. This was done so that people would give away the reusable things to needy and make their lives better

On 22-24^th January “Change for Change” was conducted. The change develops and comes out truly from the individual itself and this was a small hope that we actualized in the people and society to be the change to live better and make lives better by being a helping hand.

On 24^th-25^th January to be bring out the wishes to people who are stricken by poverty and wish hard that someone could help them, we made a wish tree branching up their wishes into a beautiful tree listing out their wishes from various orphanages and blind school. 

As a part of this we tied up with one of the talented magician and kindest person in the college Avinash Varma of 3^rd Year, CSE and organized a close up magic show to raise the funds we are really thankful to him which ended to be really successful.

 Through out our true intension was to raise funds toward making lives of needy better and we raised about RS 14,450/- and other monetary from the students are still being counted.

  

The main initiative of Dhaan Utsav is to spread generosity among human kind as always it’s all about kindness, helpfulness, being selfless. Giving away to people can make tremendous effect because it is more blessed to give than to receive. 

The more you give of yourself the more yourself the more you find yourself through the week of Dhaan Utsav we make people realize the true essence of being human.

TRADITIONAL DAY, 2020

               

                                                                                            -BY R.Jyothsnasree
                      BVRITN has a culture of celebrating Traditional Day every year in which students cherish India’s diverse tradition and culture and it’s a great way of getting back to our traditions surviving modernized busy lives.

As a part of retrieving our traditions Enlightening Lives being a non-profitable NGO took an initiative to reclaim the Indian tradition of Dana and Dharma on the occasion of Traditional Day. Charity is one of the four pillars of Dharma. Daana is the cultivation of generosity and charity. Being selfless and giving back has always been the biggest part of Indian tradition.

Enlightening Lives always takes an initiative to connect college to charity and make the lives of needy better as a part of which we organized events on Traditional Day. Our idea was to raise funds in an entertaining and appealing way for the students so that they have their share of fun and memories while we can receive funds to make lives of needy better.

Practicing charity as a virtue is always part of tradition. We the team of Enlightening Lives through the events organized tried to restore the virtue of charity and serve the needy as much as we can as a part of traditional day.

We put up a photobooth where people can come and capture memories and smiles on the occasion with a registration fee of Rs.20 per head. We also organized Snake & Ladders where the registration fee of about Rs.50 to make the events fun and entertaining to the students. With all of this, once again it was proved that love and charity for human race is the test of true religiousness.

“We live, we make smiles, we donate, we initiate, it’s we who can make lives better and live better”