SERVICE:


Initiating a community service project for children born with cleft and palate has been the one of the best experiences of my student life. While the satisfaction of helping underprivileged children tops everything else, leading the service helped me grow as an individual and to a great extent provided some great perspectives for my future. Not only do I want to continue service activities in college but also to continue my support to cleft palate issue.


I would like to begin with work we have been doing this semester. Raising awareness of the need for timely surgery of cleft lip or palate and organizing our fund raising event topped our service goals. This semester we started planning an event two months ago, to raise funds that could sponsor atleast surgeries of 15 children born with clefts.


Our team voted to have a party outside school premises as Overseas School does not allow other international school students to attend events on our campus which could limit the amount of funds raised. So, our priorities were


1. Find a venue free of charge
2. Design posters
3. Find DJ
4. Find sponsors for the event
5. Advertise
6. Run the event


One of the first things I did was to call various city hotels and seek appointments with the GM's. Cinnamon Lake side was the first Hotel to offer us a venue, free of charge and we were really excited as the venue over looks the lake. The event was therefore set to happen on November 26th.


For me, one of the high points of leading the service has been my experiences while meeting various sponsors and making presentations. I met Hayley's GM, MAS GM, UniLever Marketing Director, HSBC corporate division head amongst others. I am proud of the fact that each firm was touched by the video (above) presented and committed to sponsor atleast two surgeries. Infact, it looks like, we could raise more funds than we initially planned.


The kind of support we receive when we seek help for this project never ceases to amaze me. Some of the corporate heads I met, want to donate from their personal accounts along with the donation from the firm.


Two weeks ago we experienced our biggest set back. Cinnamon Lake side called to apologize as they cannot offer the venue due to technical problems that we had no control over. This set us back big time as the posters are almost ready to go out. However, a bigger challenge now, is finding venue at such short notice. Despite trying almost every hotel in the city, we failed to find the venue as it is too much of a last minute with x-mas around the corner. However, we are not willing to fold in. We have now pushed the event to December 11th and hoping to find a venue, so that the event can go on as we hope to raise funds for six surgeries. I definitely will continue to persevere as running this event will mean raising funds for atleast six surgeries and since it is December, there is possibility for more.


The corporate sponsorships are independent to the event oraganization, thus will definitely come through.


Leading the service provided great insights into real world experience for me. Organizing the event and meeting the sponsors and collaborating with the local doctor and sponsors are something that I could never have learnt in a classroom and for that I am really greatful. I learnt that it is important to be the team player. The kind of funds that Corporates are willing to donate shows their commitment to service due to their social awareness and my interactions with them have definitely helped me to seriously consider management line of studies in future. The video presentation helped to convince people to reach out to the children born with clefts as it added an emotional angle which could not have been possible through mere oral presentation.


We will know in two weeks whether or not the event will take place and how much funds we raised this semester and how many surgeries we would be able to sponsor.