BENGALURU: On a day when most people are either holidaying, relaxing, partying or getting over a hangover, a few people would have begun the new year by spreading smiles and compassion. What Jacob, Harish Bhuvan and Chandy Abraham have in common is that they derive their biggest joys not by celebrating themselves, but by helping others.
Jacob, an architect, strives to devote an hour every day for activities which help those in need. He, along with NGO Sanman, volunteers at the Kidwai Cancer Hospital. On Sunday, he plans to visit Swanthana, an orphanage which houses 50 mentally challenged girls who were rescued by the government. “About 40 of them are bedridden and can’t communicate. We speak to them in the hope that they can hear us,” said Jacob.
Harish Bhuvan (26) plans to spend the first two weeks of the New Year travelling across the country to conduct workshops and camps on child sexual abuse. It really is no different than what Harish does most of the time, and the fact that it is a festive occasion doesn’t make any difference. “I don’t drink now, so I definitely won’t have a hangover on January 1. And doing these things has been my life for the past three-and-a-half years,” he says. Harish is the founder of Compassionate Clowns, a group that conducts workshops with its members dressed up as clowns.
He says the costumes help as the subjects discussed are too intense.
For 51-year-old Chandy Abraham, every weekend is spent in the service of other people. Formerly in the Army, Abraham works as a logistics officer for Volvo. He is also a part of NGO Sanman, and with his team he devotes his time in making both the children and their parents at Kidwai Hospital smile. This weekend is no different.
Jacob, Harish and Abraham are just few of the people to whom spreading joy to others is the best way of spending New Year’s, or any other festival.