NXg: "Youngistan in Action"

Today we were published in The Hindu supplement, NXg. A few weeks ago, Nivedita, Sriram, Pragnya, and Apta were interviewed by up and coming journalist, Carl Felix Müller. He wrote a great article about the beginnings and growth of Sangam India.

Here is a link to the article on the NXg home page.

Youngistan in action

INITIATIVE: ‘Sangam India’, an organisation formed by the youth, aims to inspire their not-so-privileged counterparts.

CARL FELIX MÜLLER

A group of students from the Sri Ramachandra Medical College have recently been gaining publicity among the media in Chennai. In March this year, seven friends from the college decided that they needed to get involved with their community. They wanted to make a difference, and they had the energy and motivation to do it.

Starting out

To start off, they decided to distribute 50 packets of curd rice to a rural community in Mylapore. But then, they realized that in order to make a difference, they would have to distribute food every single day, and they could not yet sacrifice that much. So they started a project called ‘Sangam India’. Sangam India is an organisation that tries to work with rural communities to lead them towards self-sustainability and eventually enhance their quality of education, health, nutrition, sanitation and hygiene. Also, they are in the process of obtaining the NGO status (Non Governmental Organization). The founders Nivedita Gunturi and Sriram Ramgopal and the other members are all students currently studying at Sri Ramachandra.

Besides conducting medical camps, the students also sponsor some of the children’s higher education. The project is not at all ‘just’ about giving them food, education, and medicines. The students actually work with the children on a “buddy” basis. They interact with them, play games and try to be their role-models. They want to inspire the kids, motivate them to finish school, because “they are the next generation.” The group’s aim is to provide a model which other organisations and students can follow. Ramavaram, along Poonamallee High Road, next to Miot Hospital, is their pilot project. Here, they have already conducted a door-to-door survey and collected information on the residents. “It’s just a matter of getting there,” says Nivedita, who’s now in her second year at Sri Ramachandra. “People are socially aware, but they don’t see options to act.” It is part of Sangam’s aim to also reach out to the general public and give them options to contribute to their society.

Together for a cause

At their college, the original seven have now become a group of 150 students volunteering to participate, donate, and help; ‘together for a common cause’ is their motto. “Right now we have the energy! There are so many different courses at in college that we don’t even know most of the students.” The project has brought the students of Sri Ramachandra closer together.Through word of mouth, the residents of Ramavaram have already found themselves a huge support from the new, enlarged group. “Without the group, we would have never gotten this far” feels Nivedita. Their new ideas and main support comes from the group itself. Through fundraisers that were organised at the college, they have been spreading the word among the students.

The last fundraiser was a Basketball tournament at the college, charging Rs. 100 per participant as a donation towards Sangam. “The tournament was a lot fun and the students want more fundraisers like that,” says Pragnya Chigurupati, who’s also in the second year of her MBBS. Also, they have been receiving donations in the form of money, clothes, and expertise from different sources. “There haven’t been any limitations so far concerning our funding,” says Sriram, who’s in his third year at Sri Ramachandra. The students have been lucky to have their parents as occasional financial back up. They were also surprised when they received support from the college staff. On their first dental camp, the students had only a few chairs and tables for their procedures, but with the second camp they had support from professors and better equipment for better treatment. “That’s our belief: youth helping youth to improve our society.”

All the members present during our meeting said that they have learned to be responsible, not only for themselves but also for their community. With their project, they hope to inspire others and build awareness. Everyone agreed that “social work will always stay with us”.Concerning the recent attention from the media, the students were surprised, but to them it is encouraging and nice to know that people do care. For those interested to engage themselves, the next camp will be held on September 21.

For details log on to: www.sangamindia.org. Reach them at: info@sangamindia.org
or call: +919789901650

Thanks for your help, Felix! We hope that articles like these will help raise some awareness of the conditions in India's urban slums and how ordinary people really can make a difference.

If you saw this article and have any ideas, thoughts, or advise - we'd love to hear it. Please feel free to send us an email and let us know what you think. We are a growing group with a lot of ideas, and we need all the help we can get! Send us an email at info@sangamindia.org and let us know what you think!