Discover I has come a long way since its inception in October last year, from hosting four competitions in slums and rural areas, collaborating with our own’s school social efforts in teaching girls from underprivileged families, organizing a summer camp with the help of an NGO school — impacting over 500 children with the help of over 100 volunteers! It has also been awarded the Best Awareness Campaign under the Youth Power competition conducted by the newspaper The Global Times and also received a mention in the national daily The Times of India. Similar initiatives have even been undertaken under different names in cities like Manipal (thanks bro!) and Mumbai (thanks internet friend!). I feel proud of being a part of such an organization.
It all started when about a year ago, Vathul (co-founder of Discover I), wrote a heartfelt message to me. He expressed his disgust at the situation of the underprivileged children in our city and urged to do something about it. I couldn’t help myself than joining him. We formed a team of four and founded Discover I, whose objective is to find such kids who are good at activities like art, dance, music, etc. and provide them with teachers in that field to further enhance their skills. I was particularly inclined towards executing this initiative as I knew how computers could impact the lives of these children, and that these skills might help them find employment in the future.
From a small group of four, we’ve grown into a strong team of over a hundred students. I had never perceived that we would have been able to generate such a traction. I had underestimated the power of a community. Discover I helped change my perception and gave me a lifelong lesson: When one puts in a genuine effort, when one shows others the reason of doing something, they connect to others’ hearts. They can motivate a community as large as consisting of the whole of humanity, to contribute to a cause.
The sheer joy of having done something worthwhile brimmed us with satisfaction. It was heartwarming to see our students discover their true potential. Making a difference in someone’s life and learning a lesson is what matters to me. The conversations I had, the incidents I experienced will remain etched in my mind forever, as a source of motivation to help others.