Over 2,500 Delhiites will spend a night under the open sky to understand the plight of homeless in the city. Karan Bhardwaj reports
In an age where apathy has become one of the biggest challenges of the human race, over 2,500 Delhi'ites, and thousand others from across the nation, have pledged to spend tonight under the open sky, to understand the plight of homeless people. The activity will kickstart the nationwide ‘Joy of Giving week' (October 2-8). In Delhi, there are over 10 special initiatives being taken by different NGOs and private sector to spread the message. ‘Joy of Giving week’ was conceptualised in 2009 and became quite popular in a short span. The week is celebrated simultaneously in various cities to promote the spirit of charity. In Delhi, initiatives like Footsteps4good, Under the Stars, Compassionate Delhi, Food-a-thon and others will take place.
NGO Aman Baradri will oversee ‘Under the Sky'. Those who have registered will spend their night in parks, pavements, bus stops, slums, railway stations and other open areas. “The idea is to sensitise the urban youth towards the plight of homeless people,” says Ashish Shrivastava, one of the regular volunteers of the Week.
“The idea of JGW is to motivate people to give, something in kind, consideration or cash, or to share skills to make lives better. The JGW was a brainchild of four people. As they kept doing, the nation joined them. The JGW is not spearheaded by any individual or a group. It's a self-driven act. Anyone who wants to participate can either join us or do anything good in general,” he adds.
Among the multiple events in the city, ‘Footsteps4good' is a marathon which will take place tomorrow. “To participate in it, one needs to donate Rs 2,000 to any NGO. It will begin from Jawarharlal Nehru Stadium 7 am onwards,” informs Shrivastava.
NGO Youth Alliance will monitor event ‘Compassionate Delhi'. The idea is to engage private and government school children together. “They will visit each other's schools and exchange gifts. After the conversation, they will also create a manifesto on their dream city,” says the volunteer. Over 10,000 school children are participating from various MCD schools. last year, the JGW raised over Rs 30 crore with participation of over 1,700 schools and 400 colleges in the country.