EVENT TITLE: Joyful Journey-To Donate Groceries to the old and elderly people in a home

DATE: February 22.2.2024

TIME: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

VENUE: Natchathira Old Age home, Valasaravakkam

EVENT CONVENER: Ms.Swetha Menon ( HOD of Fashion Designing )

EVENT COORDINATORS:  Ms. Githanjali

NO OF PARTICIPANTS: 10

INCHARGE PERSONS:

Ms. Githanjali (Assistant professors) – Department Of Fashion Designing. SRMIST.

Organized by: Faculty of Science and Humanities, National Service Scheme (NSS) – SRMIST, and Department of Fashion Designing through the Socio-Activity Club.

SUMMARY OF THE EVENT:

The Joyful Journey event was an initiative aimed at helping elderly individuals in Natchathira Old Age Home through the donation of essential groceries. Held on February 22, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, the event brought together volunteers and members of the community to share love and support with the elderly residents, ensuring they have access to the necessities that enhance their quality of life.

Event Highlights:

Arrival and Setup:

Volunteers arrived early in the morning to ensure the smooth setup of donation tables,packaging materials, and distribution items. The elderly residents of the home were gathered and made comfortable in the designated space for the event.

Grocery Donation:
The event featured the donation of a variety of essential groceries including rice, pulses, flour, sugar, cooking oil, tea, and other day-to-day necessities. Local vendors generously contributed to the items, and many volunteers took part in organizing and distributing the groceries in an efficient manner.

Engagement with the Elderly:
Volunteers made it a point to interact with the elderly residents, engaging in light conversations, offering assistance, and making them feel valued. The event emphasized not only the physical act of donating but also the emotional connection, fostering a sense of companionship and joy.

Cultural Touch:

As part of the event, the volunteers organized light entertainment, including traditional music Performances, making the event festive and uplifting for the elderly residents. This created a warm atmosphere, helping everyone feel included and happy.

Feedback and Gratitude:
The elderly residents expressed immense gratitude for the donations, as it alleviated some of the burden on their caretakers, allowing them to focus on providing other forms of care. The staff at Natchathira Old Age Home also expressed appreciation for the continued support from the community and highlighted the positive impact of such initiatives.

Community Engagement:
The event encouraged community participation, allowing individuals to connect with the elderly and foster a sense of togetherness.

Spread Joy and Compassion:
Through the initiative, volunteers aimed to spread love, kindness, and a sense of belonging among the elderly, reminding them that they are not forgotten.

OUTCOMES OF THE PROGRAM: (Based on SDG and Feedback)

The “Knowledge Sharing to teach basis Stitching and Embroidery to different abled Students in a Special  School ” event further demonstrated SRMIST’s dedication to promoting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 1 is to: “End poverty in all its forms everywhere. Achieving SDG 1 would end extreme poverty globally by 2030. One of its indicators is the proportion of population living below the poverty line. This section is an excerpt from Sustainable Development Goal 1 SDG 1 aims to eradicate every form of extreme poverty including the lack of food, clean drinking water, and sanitation.

Achieving this goal includes finding solutions to new threats caused by climate change and conflict. SDG 1 focuses not just on people living in poverty, but also on the services people rely on and social policy that either promotes or prevents poverty.

Particularly SDG 2 (zero hunter and Well-being) and food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.”Indicators for this goal are for example the prevalence of diet, prevalence of severe food insecurity, and prevalence of stunting among children under five years of age.

This section is an excerpt from Sustainable Development Goal 2. SDG 2 has eight targets and 14 indicators to measure progress. The five outcome targets are: ending hunger and improving access to food; ending all forms of malnutrition; agricultural productivity; sustainable food production systems and resilient agricultural practices; and genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals; investments, research and technology. The three means of implementation targets include: addressing trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets and food commodity markets and their derivatives.

SDG 4 is to: “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. The indicators for this goal are, for example, attendance rates at primary schools, completion rates of primary school education, participation in tertiary education, and so forth. In each case, parity indices are looked at to ensure that disadvantaged students do not miss out (data is collected on “female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples. There is also an indicator around the facilities that the school buildings have (access to electricity, the internet, computers, drinking water, toilets etc.)

SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). By focusing on the well-being of elderly residents—a demographic often marginalized and overlooked—this initiative worked to reduce inequalities and contribute meaningfully to their mental and emotional health. Providing knowledge about basic illustration and embroideries and spending quality time with residents emphasized that their well-being is a community priority.

  • To end poverty in all its forms everywhere.
  • To ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing at all ages
  • To reduce inequalities within and among countries

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

Outcome:

The initiative of teaching basic stitching ,embroidery and illustration  to differently-abled students in a special school has proven to be both successful and rewarding. Not only did students acquire new skills, but they also experienced personal growth in areas such as self-esteem, creativity, and social interaction. With continued support and adaptation, the program has the potential to provide lifelong benefits and empower students to pursue greater independence and fulfillment.