As a co-founder of People First, I wanted to combine service with creativity and compassion. Our club focuses on not just providing materials to underprivileged people and supporting them but rather mainly focuses on bringing happiness, learning and encouraging underprivileged communities. From teaching arts and dance to underprivileged children to assisting medical caps for differently abled children, our club focused on improving the well -being of children, building confidence and creating memorable moments of joy that they usually don’t have.
LO 3 : Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience
Starting People First meant identifying the gaps in the communities where helping communities rather than traditional support was main. Me, with my co-founder, planned and initiated various activities as a part of this club. In the first few drives, we visited NGOs where children didn’t have access to extra-curricular activities. In these, we designed and taught arts and dance that taught self- expression and creativity in children. In this case, we made sure that we have access to necessary resources and planned activities in advance to avoid any last minute chaos. Further, we did another drive at a hospital where we assisted a medical camp from children with Down Syndrome. We managed patient flow, guided them, and created a welcoming and friendly environment by organizing fun activities for children who were waiting for their consultations. Moreover, we also organized a bake sale at school and gathered funds which we used to fund a food drive where we served Biryani to 40+ people, taking a small step towards reducing hunger. Each and every event required detailed planning and coordination with NGO’s, caterers and volunteers. Through this, I learned how to initiate this project and planning where we faced problems and mitigated it to meet community needs.
LO 4 : Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences
Running this club required persistence, patience, determination and dedication. Many times, our resources were limited and unexpected circumstances arose, like last minute resource management and communication gaps with other co-founders. One time, while visiting an NGO where we organized arts activities, we lacked resources due to communication gaps with the NGO where we weren’t aware how many children were there . Instead of cancelling, we improvised using available supplies and ensured the children still had a memorable experience.
Additionally, during the drives and bake sales, these events stretched late into evenings and it was hard balancing academics and volunteering, which tested our time management skills. But the satisfaction that we gained through these volunteering was worth it. From this experience, I learned perseverance where it is not just about perfection but rather how we handle difficult situations, solve problems and stay committed.
LO 6 : Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
We visited marginalized communities which exposed us to main social problems like inequality, healthcare, and exclusion from creative opportunities. During the hospital visit, we saw how families found it difficult to receive medical care and how children with special needs frequently lacked organized assistance for their health. Further, when working at NGOs, we noticed the impact that limited access to extracurricular activities had on kids’ self-esteem and general wellbeing. By witnessing these social problems and working on the same, I developed empathy and social responsibility to contribute significantly to society.
In conclusion, co-founding People first and also working as a volunteer along with it has been a meaningful experience. It developed my leadership, creativity, problem solving and communication skills where we also created a small impact in our community. We also continue to plan new initiatives further and expand our impact and learning as we serve more communities in future.
