Mukunda Dash is a youth of amazing character from a nondescript village Kumelsingha in Bargarh district. He has many a problem, including his middle aged father as a cancer patient eng a burden on him.
Financially he is also not at all sound. But all these problems have not deterred him from social work. Creating awareness for blood donation and HIV related issues are his hobbies. Although he has not expected anything in return but honour showered on him spontaneously. Former Governor of Odisha MC Bhandare felicitated him for donating blood for a number of times at regular intervals.
What is he doing now is to create awareness against wrong notion on blood donation among the village people whose number is very less in the list of the donors. And, with help of his village youths and those from the nearby including ladies in good numbers, he is all set to popularize blood donation among the people living in villages. “Normally the people living in villages think that they can’t donate blood. If at all they donate, they can’t resume their normal duties since most of them are farmers or daily labourers. But I and my colleagues are moving to all villages to clear the wrong idea. We find the villagers are getting immensely motivated,” said Dash.
“We don’t organize blood donation camps. But on call from the needy persons or from different nursing homes and hospitals, we reach immediately to donate blood who need it. Our intention is not for advertisement but to save life of a patient,” added Dash.
He has also formed a blood donors’ association in his remote village, Kumelsingha, which is getting popular day by day and more donors are also getting attracted to this association as it is serving the people in their need in a hospital bed.
Blood donation and awareness activities apart, Dash also works for the leprosy patients and has been awarded by different organizations for the same. Awareness for the people on HIV/AIDS who are migrating in search of jobs to the metro cities and to the drivers is his another activity.
He also works to make people conscious as to different welfare activities of the State and Central Governments meant for them. Under his dynamic leadership, many young men and women are joining his association as they find it to be a better platform to serve people, admit many villagers.
“It is my pleasure to serve people and I shall feel glad if other youths come forward for such works in their respective places,” asserted Dash.