HYDERABAD : This is the season of sales, but the Gratitude Giveaway at Vision Rainbow in Red Hills, Lakdikapul, on Sunday was a sale of a different kind. Here, you could pick up things for free and just pay in gratitude. “We wanted Hyderabadis to experience the feeling of gifting themselves something without having to pay. Santa Claus was there to sweeten the mood. You could also make and carry back planters with you,” said the volunteers of Vision Rainbow, a shared space of possibility for people of all ages to create, connect and contribute.
Vision Rainbow had collected things ranging from clothes and books to toys and shoes from students’ families and neighbours who wanted to donate. “There are a lot of things that we don’t need anymore but might be of value to others. So we collected them all in one place and created this event where you could pick things up for free and in this way we can show gratitude towards others with small efforts,” said Arifa, who takes care of the planning of the school and the business mind of the kids. Vision Rainbow was established 15 years ago and is all about informal learning.
“This is the second time we have organised this event. A lot of book lovers also dropped by to give us books. This time, we had over 70 students from government schools drop by to pick up what they needed,” said Arifa. Is there a quality check for things that are donated as giveaways? “We don’t follow any stringent rules while accepting donations. We just ensure it is in usable condition.
Also, those who pick it up do it consciously, based on what they need. So the idea is that if you really like it, will you be using it? Does it give you joy? These are the questions we ask before giving away.” In case we get a lot more than what is picked up, we tend to sort it out and send it to a local NGO which would be in need of things. However, the event this week saw most students picking up stationary and books. The idea of the event is to create a sense of community, develop gratitude and enjoy the feeling of gifting. The next event will take place in January.
Students picked up books for the vacation
“There are a lot of things that we don’t need anymore but might be of value to others. So we collected them all in one place and created this event where you can pick things up for free and in this way we can show gratitude towards others with small efforts” - Arifa, Vision Rainbow