Every nation’s success is built on the shoulders of its youth. Many enthusiastic youngsters are actively participating in aiding the needy throughout this pandemic. 365 Smiles, a Bengaluru-based group of 18 to 24-year-old students, is one such group.
The team of 50 was created in the year 2018. Initially, they united with the goal of volunteering with NGO organisations. Speaking to News Karnataka, Shahida, founder of 365 Smiles said that, “I assign the students to a cause that they must support. One person will be responsible for fund raising, the other for social media, and so on. We were able to provide food packages and other items to orphanages and nursing homes.”
During the last lockdown, they distributed around 250 food packets to various regions in Bengaluru over the course of 40 days. The team also donated blankets to those who needed them the most. “This year, there was a need for oxygen cylinders, and we raised enough money to buy at least 20 of them. That was given to Thanal Ngo and we were able to come up with 21,” said Shahida. She also mentioned that the team received 1.8 lakh from another set of young people and they were able to raise approximately 3.7lakh.
She went on to say that, “When the city requires oxygen, Thanal has a centre in Mahadevapura that can provide it immediately. We now have these huge cylinders, which we distribute to hospitals according to their needs.”
The public’s response for their activities has been overwhelmingly positive. The youngsters today have a lot of potential and can reach out to a large number of people. Shahida stated that, “We would like to tell all youngsters that if we make up our minds to do good, there is no force on earth that can stop us, god willing.”