Young people care, who said they don’t?
Meet the community report winners for September— all students
Numbers — that’s all that seems to matter now. Be it the economy, a nation’s growth or a company’s performance. Measures and performance indicators drive the core. There appears to be a shift in the way organisations are functioning, a move away from people, integrity and value systems.
Perhaps we should not complain about it, because we all need to work, live and function. Numbers are a necessary evil. But, in that maze run, we need to remember what we are truly about. Our lives are not just CGI or computer generated imagery that feels more like a caricature of how it should be rather than how we live them. In the space and time continuum, we are but blips, all the more reason that we need to make our time on this planet count. We need to matter.
I. S. Adithiyan Rajan
Published on September 6. I. S. Adithiyan Rajan, a student based in Dubai, initiated a campaign to collect unused medicines and hand them over to charity organisation as donations. He said: “Community reports are one of the most powerful ways to highlight various issues that matter to the society. It is a successful way of communicating and sharing information. Such reports play an important role in raising awareness about the events and issues in our society and as a result, urges readers to take appropriate action. “I believe this will lead to an overall positive effect within out community.” Through his reports, he hopes to motivate readers to do their part and bring out positive change in society. After And to do that, we need to care. The
community reports show us every day that hope does spring eternal, people care and there are those who strive to do their best by others as much as possible. Today, we salute these heroes, stars without flashing lights or billboard signs, the men and women in this country who want to make their communities better.
First place goes to Aritra Mullick, who, along with 50 other students, helped clean up the Capital Garden, one of the oldest public parks in Abu Dhabi. It was a way of saying thank you to the emirate by these young people from different schools. “Students clean up public park”, was published on September 18, and generated interest from many like-minded youngsters.
Second place goes to Adithiyan Rajan for the report, “Donating unused medicines to help the less fortunate”. which was published on September 6. A group of youngsters came together to collect unused medicines and donated them to the Al Ihsan Charity Association in Ajman. As per a British website on medicine waste, an estimated £300 (Dh1,464) million worth of medicines are wasted in the
Aritra Mullick
Published on September 18. Aritra Mullick, a student based in Abu Dhabi, wrote about a clean-up drive organised by students at a public park in the capital. He said: “Community reports help people realise what is happening around them. Today, news is often on a massive global scale, and while that is truly terrific, it is also important that we start to understand and change the world bit by bit, by starting from our community.” In his opinion, community reports are offering his report was published, Rajan was congratulated for his efforts by those around him. He said: “My neighbours appreciated it and I was glad to share this message with my friends and relatives abroad.”
Aaditya Gandhi
UK alone, each year, which could pay for 11,778 new community nurses. Additionally, improper disposal of unused medicines are hazardous to people, children, pets and the environment. So, the initiative for upcycling by Rajan is of great help and need on a much larger scale.
Third place goes to Aaditya Gandhi for his article, “Siblings start free library to promote reading among children”. It was published on September 21. Gandhi and his younger sister stock over 400 books in their home library, which is now open to all between the ages of five and 18 — free of cost. These are books the brother-sister duo collected over the years. They also host literary events for young people in their community, including creative writing and book review sessions. A commendable effort in a day and age where people have drastically reduced their reading time because of digital information overload.
What do you think of the work done by these young winners? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page. people a sense of realisation. His report highlighted a group of people who came together for a good cause. And seeing their work being appreciated gave them motivation to carry on. Mullick said: “They were extremely pleased to see themselves featured in a newspaper and so are more motivated than ever before.” As someone who loves to write, Mullick says he looks for opportunities to put pen to paper for any cause. After his report was published, he has decided to continue writing for the newspaper in the future. Published on September 21. Aaditya Gandhi, a pupil based in Dubai, initiated a community book club along with his sister. Their aim was to encourage more children their age to read and so allowed people in his neighbourhood to borrow books for free from their collection. Gandhi said: “Community reports provide readers with an opportunity to create awareness about various issues. It is an innovative channel that people of all ages can effectively utilise to convey the message across to a large number of readers.” Through his report, he wanted more people to be aware of his initiative and follow in his footsteps. He says he received an “overwhelming response” from his teachers, neighbours and friends. He said: “Everyone has been extremely encouraging and appreciative of my effort in setting up the neighbourhood library and using it as a literary hub to encourage the reading culture. We have been contacted by more children to sign up as members. I am glad I could be instrumental in spreading love of reading in the community.”