Kalyan Report

Kalyan is a Make A Difference Project based on collecting necessary materials like medicines, stationery, and clothing from our school and local communities for the underprivileged. The idea for Kalyan was inspired by a talk that Mr. Anshu Gupta, the founder of the NGO Goonj, gave at a school event. His powerful portrayal of the issues caused by a lack of clothing and stationery in rural India, and the ability to use such materials to build an economic bridge between the rural and urban areas, really struck a chord within us. Through the year, we carried out two collection drives, one for medicine and one for clothing and stationery. The response was overwhelming and surreal for our group. We managed to collect over 15 kilograms of medicine, and 5 boxes of clothing and stationery. Young children enthusiastically approached us, eager to make a small difference. Posters around the school also helped in our campaign to raise awareness. After the collection drive, we embarked on the more challenging task of separating and packaging the materials. We divided responsibilities between group members, some checked expiry dates on medicines, others separated the medicines into various categories, others packaged them into boxes. What did we learn? Not only were we able to develop skills of collaboration, communication and planning, but we were also able to make an extremely tangible difference to the community.