'ARISE & AWAKE – 2013', a reunion of old volunteers

‘Chalo Jalayen Deep Wahan Jahan Abhi Bhi Andhera Hai’

Over the last twenty years, Purvanchal Kalyan Ashram has regularly organized ‘Vanjeevan’, a week long summer camp in the core tribal areas for school going children from Kolkata. Most of these children are now adults, busy with studies, office and household responsibilities. Though they might be disconnected with the Vanvasi, they still cherish the ‘good old days’ of fun and mischief, in their Vanjeevan camps. This event ‘Arise & Awake’ was conceptualized to reconnect with them and ‘awaken’ their dormant thoughts.

Ultimately, 22^nd September, Sunday was chosen as the date for this historic event. Each guest lit a Deepak and placed on the beautiful rangoli, near the registration desk. It symbolized the motto of the Youth Wing – ‘Chalo Jalayen Deep Wahan Jahan Abhi Bhi Andhera Hai’.

A Vanjeevan participant relives moments from her trip 

The event started with a flashback of memories of old Vanjeevan camps and how Purvanchal Kalyan Ashram has evolved over the years. The guests from the audience mostly youth who at some point of their school life participated in a Vanjeevan also pitched in and shared their experiences of the trips, some even dating back to 1990s. It was a wonderful atmosphere as old Vanjeevan pals met each other after years and relived those Vanjeevan moments!

This was followed by detailed presentations on the main activities of the Youth Wing – Education Camp, Medical Camp, Shishu Mela and Village Development. These presentations, small video clips and case studies of some successful projects beautifully illustrated the scope of the activities, their impact on the Vanvasi community and how interested people can volunteer in them. Some interesting quizzes were also included in between the presentations. The event ultimately concluded with a sumptuous lunch.

Overall, the event was a grand success as the number of guests was close to 180, much more than anticipated! It was the result of the hard work of the volunteers of the Youth Wing, who worked tirelessly for nearly two months combing through old Vanjeevan records, sending e-mails, messages, making hundreds of phone calls.