Winning is a great moment because it’s a recognition and an affirmation of the fact of being & doing right. The pleasure of the award – to me, my family, friends, colleagues, and teammates – has nonetheless been very real. The award has further bolstered my voice on how beneficial volunteerism is, not only for society but also for us, the volunteers.
In my family, there is a deeply rooted culture of volunteering, it is something that I have always carried with me in all my endeavors. In the last half decade, I have managed to streamline my passion for volunteering in a more effective and deliberate way, and the rewards have been immensely fulfilling! On the field when I see my students excitingly waiting for our team to come and teach the lessons we have planned, it makes all the hard work worth it.
To be honored as the Youth Champion is a title that comes with serious responsibilities. My responsibilities won’t end in a year, but they are something I will work on all my life. It is imperative that we realize how much of an impact volunteering can have on us, as individuals and the world we live in.
It allows us to follow our passion, to brainstorm and bounce ideas off of each other, it allows us to go back home satisfied knowing that we did well that day. It offers a great learning curve that no other ‘job’ can offer.
The award will have a long lasting significance. The process of selection and nomination, itself was a memorable journey that I know I will never forget. It was a rigorous procedure of form filling, telephonic interview, video-making etc. But I never found it tiresome and in the end, it was all worth it.
I want to extend my sincere thanks to Team iVolunteer, who have been working tirelessly to make the idea and action of volunteering more appealable to the youth in India.
And, I am glad to know how awesome it feels when people sometimes come up to me and ask ‘Hey – You are the Youth Champion, Right?’ I can see the newborn trust in their eyes.
Having said that, I assure to leave no stone unturned in overcoming all my challenges to transform volunteering from an act of ‘charity’ to a self-learning & skill developing an initiative for youth capacity building and social development. It is time for us to be empowered and take charge of where we want to go and the type of world we wish to live in.
It is so wonderful that this humble contest is hosted each year by iVolunteer. It was a great opportunity for me to be a part of this journey which made me felt so rich and strong in terms of being surrounded by right set of people who have also acknowledged my battles, efforts & accomplishments which in turn gives me an undying energy to keep on going – And, I’m sure other young leaders will also be humbled from the social contest as much as I have.
Held annually since 2012, iVolunteer Awards are, today, the premier national recognition for volunteering in India. You can nominate volunteers here: http://bit.ly/iVolunteerAwards-Nominate.
iVolunteer Blog - everything about volunteering 