When you're just out of your teens, all you want to do is have fun. But here's a thoughtful bunch that likes to dedicate its time to making others' lives more fun with Dream Camp!
With the motto of providing 'the best days of my life' experiences to underprivileged children, these volunteers from Make a Difference (MAD) took a group of girls on a camping trip to a resort near Nandi Hills this weekend.
“The camp, which happens annually, separately for boys and girls, gives the children knowledge about things they won’t be exposed to in their shelter homes,” says Adarsh Nair, a 21-year-old volunteer.
They are remodeling the resort such that they look like different countries. “It’s like taking them around the world in 72 hours,” he adds.
Since this is a camp for girls only, going with the society’s stride, volunteers are going to be teaching them self defense. “Older girls will be taught about money management. There are also dance workshops and space workshops by experts who are coming to Bengaluru from all over India," he adds.
The most magical bit is that they're going to have a star gazing session in the process of learning about space!
Aswin Menon, 22, who has been with MAD for three years now, quit work and took this up full time two years ago. This ex-techie handles events in six cities in India. “Initially, I thought I'll do it for as long as I could, thought I'll do it for as long as I could, but then, there was nothing better than being able to contribute to the society in a fun way, everyday. We used to play football with the kids and coach them over weekends. In the evenings, we'd have bonfires. Now I'm glad we can stretch it for three-day-long camps,“ he says.
This year, Dream Camp is kicking off in Bengaluru followed by more than 19 cities.
It is giving college students in Bengaluru an opportunity to stand up for a cause and helping them network as well. “I have been going everyday after college to help out with Dream Camp. I’m in charge of organising ice breakers and any activities if the children get bored. I meet new people everyday and it’s the best way of learning,” says 20-year-old Gurpreet Kaur, a student of Christ University.
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