“Click the change”, our photography contest launched earlier this year, drew in close to 150 entries. The contest set out to achieve two outcomes by tapping into the skills of talented amateur photographers:
- Creating a bank of royalty free photographs for non profit organizations to use for communicating the impact they create.
- Recognizing the best entries with prize money that would be donated to a cause that’s close to their heart.
Participants from different walks of life submitted photographs that they had clicked of a moment that depicted social change in action. The excitement of witnessing and being a part of a larger movement to create a positive impact on society is what drew many of them to the contest. To better understand what it meant personally for someone who volunteered their time and skill to achieve these outcomes, we spoke with Deepali Kudtarkar, winner of the Popular Choice award for “Click the Change”.
Here are excerpts from this interview:
iVolunteer: How does it feel to win this contest?
Deepali: I was surprised since this is the first time that I have won something like this. At the same time, I feel motivated to participate in more such events, and also influence others to participate.
iVolunteer: Is this the first time that you have volunteered? How has your experience been?
Deepali: I started volunteering in college through NSS but later got busy trying to build a career. After a long break from volunteering, I got in touch with Umang foundation with whom I volunteered for a few years. Now I work with multiple NGOs and feel confident about creating a positive impact in society.
What does volunteering mean to you?
For me, volunteering means doing something for someone else. Volunteering for a not-for-profit provides me with a platform to contribute to causes in a way that I wouldn’t be able to do independently.
How will volunteering help the nation progress?
At an individual level, volunteering may not seem like a big thing, but when you combine the efforts of many volunteers working across cities and sectors, you realize what a huge difference it makes in the nation’s progress.
Can you tell us more about the image that has won you this contest?
Umang foundation, an NGO that I volunteer with, ran a Stationary distribution centre in a school, as a part of its drive to promote education. My photograph captures the emotions of a child who received one of these kits, the cost of which is a barrier to education for many.
Deepali’s image, along with those of other participants, will be made available to iVolunteer’s partner organizations free of charge, for use in their communication campaigns. If you believe that you possess a skill or expertise that can be used to make a difference to society, get in touch with us at mumbai@ivolunteer.org.in
We thank our volunteer Sneha Rao for writing the blog to highlight our winner.
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