Given all the bad publicity our industry has had over the past few weeks which does not all reflect the passion of everybody I know in Biotech, I was very proud to receive this update from our o2h community team where we are supporting a local Orphanage that does great work in supporting children with HIV.  An internal email communication from our HR team of the experience:

“Community Service Report, Place: “GSNP+”, Orphanage Home, Gandhinagar, 26th September, 2015.

As a part of our community service, o2h community team planned to go to GSNP+ – a community for children with HIV+. If you want to learn how to live life fully and with innocence even though you are burdened with one of the worst and deadliest diseases in the world, it is a place to visit, it is them whom you should meet.

Activities: 

• We reached “GSNP+” at around 15:30 PM.  Few kids were playing outside and few were taking their noon nap.

• As soon as we arrived, kids gathered around us. There were couple of kids who remembered Bhargavi from earlier visits.

• We assembled the kids in their prayer area. They very nicely sat in rows.

• Bhargavi started introducing the o2h community team and interacting with the kids.

• We started with a prayer – Itni Shakti hume dena data. The kids sang it with all gaiety. Later on asking the reason why we pray, kids came up with answers like – for “Mann ki Shanti”, “ Mann ki Shakti”, for remembering God etc.

• We discussed their daily routine and what they do. Then we decided to do some activities.

• Couple of kids were interested in dancing (they wanted to learn Lungi dance) but due to unavailability of music system we could not do it. So we all went for playing games.

• Half of the team was playing cricket – one team lead by Bhargavi and other by Mitul. Other half played Kho-Kho and Kabaddi – headed by Rupal, Stafi, Hiral and Ankit.

• They were all shouting and fighting who will win and who is better.  They even cheated but in good spirits.

• There were few kids who were passing time on swings/see-saws. These kids asked us to join them on see-saw and other games. They were sharing jokes and stories.

• At around 16:30 PM, few volunteers from Make a Wish Foundation came. They come on weekends to teach the kids basic languages. So it was time to say good-bye to them.

• We had got chocolates for kids which we distributed. Again they made a perfect queue and each said thank you on receiving chocolates.

Experience of Volunteers…

[ ]o2h community Team Member

“I am heartily thankful to o2h community for giving me a chance for this community service. I feel so good for sharing the happiness with these children. I had never seen this before. So I am really thankful to o2h  community and o2h community’s team for giving me opportunity to spend time with them.”

[ ]o2h community Team Member

“It was a great experience as CSR activity – related to NGO special children home. Played kabbadi, kho kho with children and enjoyed a lot. CSR activity is good for public and it’s necessary for good corporate.”

[ ]o2h community Team Member

“For my experienced at GSNP+ I would like to say that it was awesome thing which was done by me for first time in my life. I enjoyed a lot with children and felt very grateful. I feel sympathy for those children. And I would like to go again over there and also somewhere else.”

[ ]o2h community Team Member

“First of all, thanks to HR Team for giving me opportunity to meet these children. I feel better after meeting them and sharing my happiness with them. Now from that day I have developed a soft corner in my heart for such kind of children and I will always be ready to help them and make them feel happy.”

[ ]o2h community Team Member

“It was a great enduring experience I had at GSNP+ with kids there. This is something that gives a person the chance to get inner peace & happiness by spending some time with kids. I personally felt myself blessed to make someone happy. Community Service is something that keeps a person relaxed & stress free apart from mere CSR.”

[ ]o2h community Team Member

“I was waiting to visit GSNP+ since a long time and it was worth it. Community service should always make one feel happy and satisfied from within and there is no better feeling than making a child laugh. Oh! I also learnt that chocolate and kids are bad combination. They will never ever accept one chocolate bar. It was fun being with them.”