How to select Social Responsibility Activity?
It has been a tradition and culture of India to spend part of income for socially deprived. Our parents, our teachers, our society has continuously taught us directly or indirectly to help the needy. In India we will find an example that person hardly able to meet his ends of basic needs still willing to share his half bread with fellow citizen. I brought up in family of parents and 4 children where my father was putting all his might and fight to cater basic needs of our family and my mother will always make few extra chapatis in evening so that she can feed to street animals such as dogs and cows who are 100% dependent on human being.
Fortunately and with the dedication of parents I got higher education and good job but lost in meeting materialistic needs. Higher purpose of giving back to society got neglected during youth years. But wisdom imparted by parents and teachers never die and my subconscious mind was always active to find a noble cause where I can make little difference.
For finding a noble cause I applied a logical thing which I want to share here however please note that I am giving here only the process of selection and not emphasising on selecting particular activity. Choice particular area is individual wisdom which vary from person to person. No cause is good, better or best. All causes are different. As long as you are giving some thing back to society whether your time, intellect or money, it will give you feeling of happiness. It is myth that when we give back we are helping others. In fact we are helping first ourself by doing our Dharma our duty our happiness.
One can apply following thought process in selecting social activity of his choice. Consider entire planet is living being which can be divided in 4 segments. Environment, Plants, animals and human being.
Environment: Our planet earth is made of 5 Tattvas (elements). Water, Air, Fire, Matter and space. If we do any thing to protect these 5 elements we are serving to our Mother Nature. It includes conserving and not polluting Air, water and soil. Industrialisation and urbanisation is becoming major cause of pollution in water, air and soil. Unless until we make rigorous efforts including government initiatives our future generation is going to curse for leaving inhabitable planet. Few of the initiative includes waste management at homes, work place and industries. Encouraging cleanliness and hygiene. Not burning waste in open area. Treating sewage before disbursing in river or ocean. Treating gases before emitting in atmosphere. Treating industrial waste water before throwing on land or in water streams.
Plants: When we select plants for our social service we are doing direct service to nurture the nature. We can do plantation, save the extinct plants, stopping burning of jungles etc.
Animals: Though most of the animals are interdependent on each other and nature helps them in survival but many of pet animals are companion of human race and dependent on human beings for survival. Mainly like dogs, cats, cows, goats, buffaloes etc. Doing anything for protecting their survival, health care, feeding etc will be a great service to protecting life of these animals. Save tiger and PETA are good example of that.
Human Being: let’s be being human. Though god has given intellect along with hands and legs to human being still millions of human being are less fortunate than us. ( If you are reading this article consider yourself to be fortunate). Their are millions who has a dream to have life as yours. It’s a vast area of social service so I have divided first in major categories (child, youth, old) and 4 sub categories ( Body, Mind (intellect), heart and soul).
Child: there are millions of parent less children or having vary poor parents who can not provide good quality of food, healthcare and education to their children. In country like India there is major bias ness towards girl child also. Educating parents about importance of girl child, providing proper food, healthcare and education to needy children are very good initiatives to make difference in upcoming society. There are thousands of NGOs working for this cause. If one can not do direct service one can chose right NGO to do his part.
Youth: In spite of easy availability of information, modern age youth is confused about his future. Probably it is excess availability of information is warranting him to chose right path. Guiding youth for better future is also a very good cause to work for. Youth is facing problem about higher education, selection of right job or venture, selection of right life partner etc. One can work as a torch to guide them right path.
Elders: due to breaking of joint families, spreading of physical distances, breaking of marriages, present days elders are facing all sorts of problems right from food, health, love and safety. One can chose any area and make a difference.
With the above thought process personally I selected making difference in child life and started 2 initiatives. CAFE (Child Adoption For Education) where in so far we have provided school kit to 22000+ primary school going needy children. In view of agony of HIV+ orphans we have established home in name of CARE ( child adoption for rehabilitation and education) presently where 17 children are getting lodging, boarding, medication and education. We are now planning to launch FACE (Financial aid for complete education) where in bright children will be supported by noble patrons for their aspiration to complete education.
Friends my last advise is whatever the cause you chose according to your liking and passion, give some of your time and resources for needy and LIVE TO GIVE.