Care & Share activity has allowed to increase awareness amongst all children and volunteers of the need for re-cycling resources that have a great value somewhere else in the world. Re-Duce, Re-Use and Re-Cycle.
Seva Pravruti – Care & Share
- Shishukunj International Projects (SIP) has continued to fulfill the objective of Shishukunj “to relieve sickness, poverty and distress amongst children”. Over the last 18 years, when it was first set up, thousands of pounds, goods and equipment have been donated to various charitable organisations which provide help to disadvantaged children throughout the world.
- SIP sent the very first container to our sister organisation Kalaniketan Shishukunj in Nairobi, Kenya. This container contained educational books and equipment for distribution to towns and villages throughout Kenya. It was such a success that we shipped four more containers (three to Kenya and one to BGMS, Bangalore, India). Receiving the reports and photographs of how the distribution was done and the smile on children’s faces receiving the goods gave us the inspiration to do more so that other children could benefit.
- Based on experiences of earlier Education Aid containers, the Care & Share project was started in 2006. This time the focus was on collecting any items that could be used elsewhere in the world, including school books, pens, stationeries, educational games and other useful items in educational environments, these items which very often are thrown away locally in the UK, but are of considerable use elsewhere. The parameters of this project were then expanded in the ongoing Care & Share project which aims to collect things which are generally thrown out when still in a useable condition. Once enough is collected, these items are loaded into twenty or forty foot shipping containers and sent on to where they are required to be distributed by our partners and will be put to good use. Under the auspices of this project shipment donors have been sourced, the needs of specific destinations have been identified and a network of contacts has been set up in order to find the goods required. In sourcing goods the Care & Share team has networked with external organisations such as CART & Newcastle Prison.
- The enthusiastic participation of everyone involved in the project, in sourcing items in order to load the containers has led to heartwarming and joyous experiences on the part of the volunteers. When feedback is received of how the items sent were put to good use and the difference the simplest thing, like a tennis ball can make to a child, the effort is really worthwhile.
- This project works towards fulfilling a number of the aims of Shishukunj by aiding in providing an environment rich in positive values to promote the physical, spiritual, mental and social development of children and in working towards relieving sickness, poverty and distress.