Fail Story is a new section in Sankalp Patrika. We often share stories of success with you. We thought that it may be interesting or rather important to share with you the stories of failure that we face. We hope that one of you will find a better solution to the problems we faced. At least the learning we had could be made known so that the next attempt does not have to discover the problems all over again.
Way back in 2006 Sankalp India Foundation joined hands with Comprehensive Trauma Consortium to start the ‘Disha - the Blood Helpline’ number. The helpline was inaugurated by the Governor of the State amidst much fanfare and media coverage on 13th September 2006. However, within 2-3 days the few calls which were coming to the helpline just to enquire what it was all about also died out. An immediately that appeared was to spread the word about the helpline number. The volunteers put their heads together and plan an event which would surely take the word about the helpline to every last corner of Bangalore.
After much deliberation, planning and securing the logistics the volunteers were all set for - ‘Walk for Life’ - an event which they believed would propel the helpline into lime light. The plan was to the length of 42 km of Bangalore with banners, posters and hand bills spreading the word about the helpline. The volunteers were to be uniformly dressed, an ambulance was to follow the road show, press was invited, police was informed and dry runs on the chosen route conducted. Everything looked just right.
On 11th November 2006 the volunteers got up very early in the morning to prepare for the long day ahead. At 7:00 AM sharp the disciplined, yet energetic and eye-catching processing started. 40 students were fully charged and committed to taking the message of the blood helpline far and wide. They marched on the side of the road catching the attention of the people passing by. Many people stopped to enquire what it was all about while others just passed with a brief glance.
Braving the sun, the distance, the thirst, the fatigue and at times the traffic, the tireless volunteers marched 42 kms continuously in a span of 15 hours. By their standards it was an incredible feat worth the media attention - which they believed would help spread the word. With high degree of commitment and the passion filled group did not let their spirit get drowned for a moment through the long tiring day. Some media people did turn up. Some took small interviews to be aired at prime time, others got their photographers to click. I guess each of those 40 souls would have felt the mission accomplished.
The happiness found at the end of the day was short lived. Though there was a spike in calls on the day of the walk, it too faded away quickly. The helpline was back from where this whole plan started. A review meeting was held. A lesson learnt that day was though a large number of people may have come across the march that day - it did not imply that the people needing blood were reached. The volunteers realised public may momentarily take note of such public interest services but when they themselves are not in need, they neither care much about the message - nor do they share it. Failure was a good teacher - and the lessons learnt from the ‘Walk for Life’ were to shape the future of Disha - the blood helpline in a very big way. Since then, we spread the word about Disha in hospitals and blood banks - places where those people who are in real need of blood struggle to find a direction.