Imagine there's no heaven. It's easy if you try.” Sounds familiar? Known by many (if not all), these lines are from the popular song, Imagine by singer, John Lennon who dreamt of a world which had no violence and lived in peace.
Have you ever imagined what life would be like if there were no social evils that existed in the society? There would be no poverty, child labour or illiteracy. Wouldn’t it be a far better world to live in?
While many may believe that it is a distant dream that will never come true; the truth is that the responsibility lies in our hands. We all have a duty towards the society that we live in. What if it was you who was born in an impoverished family?
India is home to the largest number of poor people, where the country has one of the highest populations of children living in poverty. In addition to this, these children are known to suffer from malnourishment where the country also has one of the highest populations of malnourished children. Facts we all are very much aware of which exist in the country, besides the various other socio-economic problems prevalent in the society. So, think about it… what would be different if there was no child labour, malnourishment, hunger or any form of starvation amongst underprivileged children?
Poverty is a deep-rooted social evil that exists in almost every country, at varying degrees; more so in developing countries. Have you ever wondered what it would be like in India if there were no children who ever suffered from starvation? Stretch your imagination a bit further and imagine if an entire generation was educated. India would surely be racing towards a glorious future!
However, hunger, starvation and malnourishment; which are faced by these children are all off-shoots from much larger and complicated issues. Moreover, there is a difference between chronic malnutrition, starvation and hunger. Divided into rural and urban areas, these problems throttle the country at varying multitudes.
Laws and acts have already been passed ensuring that underprivileged children should be provided with basic amenities such as food. However, what happens when the system itself is flawed? Despite all efforts, the Indian Government has botched surveys, leading to no ration cards being distributed to families; which were actually entitled to them. Shockingly, food grains that have been stored in warehouses (to feed these children) have actually rotted because of lack of inefficient planning!
Sad, yet true!
I am going to #BlogToFeedAChild with Akshaya Patra and BlogAdda to help make a difference.
An incident of coming across a homeless and mentally ill woman in distress on the road in front of her college in Chennai paved the route for Vandana Gopikumar to establish one of the leading NGOs in the field of mental health – The Banyan. While she was yet a Master’s student of Social Work, Vandana along with a close friend Vaishnavi Jayakumar encountered several other incidents of not being able to find the right shelter and mental institution for a woman in need of medical and psychiatric attention. The Banyan, which was established in 1993 has been a one-stop destination to not only rescue, and rehabilitate but also treat mentally ill women from low-income groups. Vandana Gopikumar has pioneered a movement, helping thousands of individuals not only reintegrate into society but also secure long-term medical treatment. Not only is she the co-founder of the NGO – The Banyan, but is also the co-founder of The Banyan Academy of Leadership (BALM). She is also a...
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