Five activities that can make your weekend meaningful
There are many ways in which you can contribute to the betterment of society. All it takes is a few hours. So, instead of deciding on which restaurant to go to this weekend, how about choosing an NGO to volunteer at?
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The best way to lose yourself is to find yourself in the service of others.” We live in a fast-paced world where many of us are engaged in a blur of activity. We might end up restricting ourselves to our own good and fail in contributing something positive to the society.
Well, getting involved in community activities, especially over the weekends, is one way in which we could spend time in a productive way.
SocialStory brings to you a list of such activities:
Volunteering for an NGO
India has many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that work for social welfare. Most of these NGOs are open to volunteers and offer multiple opportunities to young minds to contribute. All you need to do is register on the official website of the NGO and fill in basic details like name, phone number, occupation, and the volunteering profile that you are interested in.
Some NGOs who are open to volunteers round the year include, Make a Difference (MAD), Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), Magic Bus, The Ugly Indian, Goonj, and Helpage India.
Joining an afforestation programme
With rapid urbanisation, green spaces such as parks and meadows are shrinking. Today, it is more common to spot buildings lining the cityscape than trees.
The good news is that many citizen-driven initiatives have sprung up in and around metropolitan cities to focus on afforestation and plantation drives. Many of these programmes are organised over weekends in order to engage students, working professionals, and homemakers. You can find more details about them on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. From learning the method of planting saplings to handling the tools involved in the process, guidelines are provided at every level.
Such initiatives not only inculcate a sense of responsibility into citizens, but also paves the way for carbon sequestration.
Visiting an orphanage
Spending time at an orphanage is an experience that can be both enriching and satisfying. Meeting children, conversing, and playing games with them is fun and also a gratifying way to end the week. There are lots of kids out there who have not experienced parents’ love and affection. Just a chocolate or a warm smile can make their day.
So, all you need to do is look around in your neighbourhood and walk into an orphanage during your spare time.
Helping at an animal shelter
Take a stroll down the lane in any city today, and you are likely to find stray dogs and cats hunting for food and digging the trash cans. This is not all. Many a times, animals on the streets end up getting injured by vehicles or humans.
While some turn a blind eye to their plight, there are many animal shelters and NGOs that rescue cattle, birds, and other animals for further treatment or therapy. By taking part in some activity at an animal shelter you can give yourself a chance to show love to animals.
Raising funds for social cause
Of late, digital media has become an important channel for non-profits and social enterprises in reaching out to the masses to raise funds. With crowdsourcing platforms, this process has become even more easier. So, how about helping an NGO raise some money? Well, some essential steps include, selecting appropriate fundraising tools, creating a content plan, designing a landing page, churning some hashtags, and reaching out to influencers.
All of this might take just about two to three hours of your weekend, but can go a long way in contributing to a social cause.
(Edited by Javed Gaihlot)