First opportunity

This week marks the beginning of almost all the Sankalp volunteer’s first real-life activities. There are 2 activities going on simultaneously. The Project Tiranga volunteers are to start working on “Mission Siachen”, spread the word about Siachen and make and collect as many hand-made postcards as possible, with 26^th January as deadline basis. Blood Donation Organization (BDO) volunteers (freshers) would start taking blood requests by accompanying a senior volunteer.

BDO volunteers were asked to follow these procedures. When they receive a call, check if the case is genuine, that is if the caller has extinguished all the other possibilities to acquire blood before approaching Sankalp (like any relative who is reluctant, or finding donors online). In case of a missed call, it is their responsibility to call back the number and enquire. Volunteers are to help  locate the blood in the city and guide them through the correct procedure till the end. They are also required to tackle the questions that may arise before, during or after the process. In case there is not enough time to locate a donor then Sankalp Database is searched to find an appropriate donor. Volunteers, first try themselves, or look through Internet and other sources or finally ask a senior volunteer. In case there is not enough time to locate a donor then Sankalp Database is searched to find an appropriate donor. Then after the case has been sucessfully handled, fill a CRF(Case Report Form) which includes the details of the case on front and analysis of the case for further references on the back side.

Their second job is to get as many people as possible to register themselves as donors (especially those with negative rhesus factor)

Project Tiranga are working on “Mission Siachen”. The objective is to collect about 4000 personal hand-made postcards. So the plan is to first give brief introduction about Siachen to the students of MSRIT. Then provide more information to the interested people (posters and booklets) and are asked to contribute by making postcards. These postcards are collected on a multiple deadline basis from the students and sent to soldiers at Siachen. Hand-made postcards were chosen as they are more personalised than a printed postcard.

Why Siachen? This place Siachen was chosen as it forms the highest battlefield in the World and the conditions there are really dreadful with extreme temperatures (about -50 degrees) and dangers due to geographical situation (avalanches, crevices, unstable grounds). 

The process required permissions of various levels. Firstly the Indian Army Base, Delhi had to be contacted to ask permission to send postcards. (The base at Bangalore did not have authority over the issue) The reply time takes about 10 days time. Then Principal of MSRIT had to be convinced of our genuine effort, which took 2 hours. Information had to be gathered, edited, printed, handed out to try convince students of MSRIT. Then the postcards made (hoping for large number nearing 4000) have to be collected and sent out to soldiers at Siachen.

All of us are trying to follow our motto as in “do work and get more work”. Hoping our efforts get paid off.