Bengaluru: With the mercury hitting the lows this winter, volunteers of Yuvashakhti Seva Foundation (Yuva for Nation) were out on the streets of Bengaluru, distributing warm woollen blankets to 500 destitutes and beggars.
It was part of the NGO’s “Hunt the Winter” campaign. Not just in Bengaluru, the Foundation also distributed 500 blankets to holy men and others at Tiruvannamalai. It was one of the four missions taken up by the NGO since its registration three months. “But we have been working on various social causes since 2009," says the NGO founder, Bhushan Bharateeya. His team has eight trustees, 30 executive members, who work region-wise to facilitate various campaigns, and over 150 members.
“The members are all from IT/BT crowd. It is a misconception that they are interested only in partying and pubbing. They also spend their weekends for social causes," he says. Their Hunt the Winter campaign was carried out not just in Bengaluru, but across 5-6 districts in the state.
“We seriously believe that the youth can change the nation for good," he says. "Each of our missions is fulfilled in two days and the highest money that we have raised under one campaign was close to Rs 5 lakh. Donors from across the world were contacted either through Facebook or Whatsapp about the campaign and money was raised. This is how we mobilise funds for various causes," he says.
The Foundation doesn’t just focus on one area but multiple issues. The Foundation's "Yuva for Seva" team distributed free Bhagavad Gitas to devotees on Vaikunta Ekaadashi at various temples.
“The other was an educational refer campaign, 'Mission Gayathri', under which we tried to mobilise Rs 37,000 to support rural girls who are outstanding but in need of funds for college," says Deepak B.M., one of the trustees of the Foundation. He says that for maintaining proper records and genuineness of the issue, the team does a background check on the need and also sees to it that the money is used for the purpose it was raised for. “We validate the need and purpose and also see whether it is a genuine cause after which we raise the money," says Deepak.
The Foundation has also mobilised money for more than 14 road accident victims and sponsored their surgeries. “These victims would have otherwise been left on the road or probably not got super-specialty care at private hospitals. We also mobilised money for a young college student, who got hit by a cab driver and needed a surgery at a private hospital. Luckily, the boy is stable now," says Bhushan.
“Our mission is to keep working on other social goals and it feels great to have such actively involved members and donors who do not hesitate to help when reached out to,” he says.
