Having been a part of Nalvidhaigal Charitable Trust for the past two years, Aswath Manickavasakam feels it is a necessity to care for the needy, whether or not help is extended from the government. A second-year computer science student of Meenakshi College of Engineering, Chennai, he attributes this initiative to his college and its alumnus Mohammed N Azarudeen, who took the effort to reach out to students and motivate them to take part in social causes by being a part of the NGO. “It is a completely non-profitable organisation. In fact, they don’t get any sponsors or donations from anyone, which was the first reason that pushed me to be a part of it,” Manickavasakam says proudly.
The 19-year-old has been involved in organising blood donation camps, camps to provide differently-abled people with wheelchairs and other necessities, sports meets for disabled people, disabled women’s day meet (held twice a year), and a programme called ‘Science for the society’, an initiative to motivate engineering students to come up with creative ideas for the invention of medical equipment. ‘Science for the society’ was launched last year, and 47 teams have already been awarded for their work. The initiative not only aims to acknowledge students’ work, it also encourages them to come up with ideas that help those in need.
Manickavasakam feels that social work helps one understand the society better and fulfills one’s purpose on earth. His father is his role model in taking up community service. A banker, his father has attended a lot of blood donation camps and has always been involved in helping the society. “The joy of giving is the greatest pleasure in life. Bringing a change to the lives of people who are disadvantaged is an honourable occupation,” he says.
— malavikkasridharan@gmail.com