REPORT Event: Lecture/Talk and interactive session Speaker: Mr. Vivek Sook, Director and Founder of Rupantaran (NGO) Organised by: Outreach Programme Committee, Ramanujan College (University of Delhi) Date: 16 September 2016 Place: P14, Ramanujan College I am a man and all that affects mankind concerns me - Bhagat Singh Mr. Vivek Sood, began by explaining what is an Outreach Programme and what are its motives. He explained that social awareness and awakening is the beginning of social outreach, which means providing help to people who are beyond the reach of normal living. Mr. Sood elucidated that outreach activities can be derived from the history of the world and the relationship that existed between the king and his subjects. The vast gap between the rich and the poor has always been present and kings like Akbar had carried out social outreach.
Post-independence, the need for outreach activities were expounded by social reformers, such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy with the view of creating a level playing field and establishing a socialistic pattern of society. He emphasized the role of youth in the development of a country and drew examples from the lives and welfare activities of great people such as Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Dayanada Saraswati, Ms. Annie Besant, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, Ms. Medha Patkar, Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, etc.
He added that there may be various types of outreach activities like rural, urban, selfhelp groups, education, craft, health, awareness regarding drug abuse, sanitation, etc. He proposed that we all must come together as a single unit to help the unprivileged groups of the society so that they can also live a better and respectful life.
Mr. Sood then explained about his NGO, Rupantran and its various initiatives and acquainted the students about how they can help poor children by teaching them. He particularly focused on education because it is both the means as well as the end to a better life; means, because it empowers an individual to earn his/her livelihood and the end because it increases one's awareness on a range of issues – from healthcare to appropriate social behaviour to understanding one's rights - and evolve as a better citizen as well. In addition, he also emphasized the need for awareness programmes on health care, livelihood and empowerment of girl child and women through various programmes, such as exhibitions, audio-visual shows, talks, meetings, celebrations, melas, to be organised from time to time. He also mentioned special interventions such as distribution of clothes and blankets, books and stationary, etc.
Mr. Sood then invited the students to join Rupantran as a volunteer on behalf of the College and help and contributing development of the Cooli Camp, Vasnt Kunj, mainly by providing education. Young students can interact and have discussion with the children of the camp, and spend time with them through teaching, plays and workshops. He pointed towards various kinds of activities and plans which can be implemented gradually, provided the students showed enthusiasm to join the outreach program and contribute their best.
REPORTED BY: Simran Arora, President, NSS Unit, Ramanujan College
