Three days at kanthari
by Ananya Ayasi, a Make A Difference volunteer
Make A Difference is an NGO that works around India in 23 cities, to foster children from shelter homes and help them achieve equitable outcomes. Every year, dream camps (DC) are conducted for the kids, away from their daily routines and lives, for 2-3 days. We focus on giving them new experiences along with lessons for life.
I joined MAD as an academic support volunteer last year. I was just as excited as the kids since it was my first time. From deciding the theme for the camp to setting up the décor, all I have been hearing was about kanthari (venue for the DC), its architectural brilliance and everything that came along with it.
I first came to Kanthari with a few MADsters for the venue visit, about two weeks before our first DC this year. I must say, the whole campus is so beautifully woven into the lap of nature, something that we don’t get to see in the other parts of the city. After a tour through the campus, we got to listen to Paul, narrating the story behind Kanthari. That’s when I realized that this place was not just confined to its ecofriendly buildings. It was a way of living. However, that was just a tip of the iceberg.
Three whole nights at kanthari made me realize that, even the smallest task that we carry out can create a huge impact on the environment. I guess, everyone who has been to kanthari must have understood that sustainable engineering is not just something that is seen between the folds of a textbook. It is the need of the hour and if given a little attention, it can be implemented effortlessly.
At MAD, we are taught to care more. I think that phrase unravels a manifold of responsibilities to us as humans, when looked upon closely. When MAD encourages us to care for our fellow beings, kanthari taught us to take care of the Earth that sustains us. Well, isn’t that the lesson we all need right now? To care for ourselves and those around us can be the simplest yet the most important task that we have at our hands now.
Maybe, when the lockdown is lifted, I might set off to kanthari. To take a closer look at things that I forgot to notice, the last time I went there. To talk to Paul and everyone else there. And to be a bit more grateful than before.