“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” -Mahatma Gandhi
In May of 2018, I had attempted some competitive exams and sat for a few interviews and faced rejection. I was quite depressed about how my life was unfolding at that point in time, so I decided to take the year off after college.
This felt like the right time to take up an initiative and I did. On 16th June 2018, Khoon: Bhilai Chapter held a launch event and made our presence official.
For the first month, we had received about two to three requests on a good week. Coincidentally, we had started operation right before the onset of Dengue season in the Chhattisgarh-Odisha region. The number of patients in hospitals skyrocketed by July and with over 200 cases in just the Durg district, it was a dark time for the people. We received an average of four to five requests per day throughout August with every request asking for five donors. We even began receiving about two to three requests per week from the capital, Raipur. It was incredibly difficult to manage given our limited database of donors compared to the number of requests we were getting. At the same time, it was pressurising given the amount of responsibility that comes with it.
Since we were two women running the Chapter, we also faced difficulty being taken seriously by organisations that we approached to collaborate with. There already existed an NGO that worked in this sector and that made it even more difficult for Khoon to take off. What helped us was our social media presence and the network of UG students from the city. Bhilai being an education hub, the student network was pretty rich which proved quite resourceful at every step.
As of June 2019, we have completed a year of operation, and in this time, we have reached 200 plus registered donors and a 60% success rate in managing donor requests.
Because of everyone involved tasks never seemed unachievable. Most volunteers work from home, and yet we have been able to maintain good communication despite the physical distances that separate us.
In my days of doubt, I look back on these moments and remind myself that I am a part of something big and I am catalysing change at whatever level it may be. Thank you, Khoon. You have motivated me to work harder every day.
