Join India’s festival of giving from October 2nd to 8th along as celebrities and citizens come together to bring a change
Meerut – Daan Utsav, India’s festival of giving, is celebrating 10 years of bringing joy in giving from October 2 – October 8, 2018. The festival has become the biggest platform for philanthropy across India with many NGOs, corporates, schools, colleges, communities and celebrities associating to make it a bigger success. From CXOs to homemakers, vegetable vendors to designers and schoolchildren to company employees– this is a people’s movement to offer their time, skills, money, etc. for social good. The 2017 edition of the festival saw more than 6 million people from over 200 towns, cities and villages across the country celebrating the festival.
Driven entirely by volunteers, the 10th edition is gearing up for a range of interesting, large scale initiatives across the country. In Mumbai, more than 20,000 volunteers will conduct an Art Pathshala for children of BMC schools on October 6, teaching them the art of making paper bags and conserving the environment. Chennai will see thousands of citizens coming together to provide sanitation and conservancy workers a sumptuous “thank you” meal on October 2. Bangalore will get together to create 100 children’s playgrounds in different parts of the city during the Week. A Book Donation Drive in Delhi will help ensure that books reach those in need at the earliest. In Kolkata, Pujor Jama will see thousands of new clothes being donated to children in need.
Events are planned across the length and breadth of the country, not just in the major metros but even in small towns, like Tilonia and Assagao in the West, parts of Tripura in the East, Nainital in the North and in the porta-cabin schools of several naxal-affected districts of Chattisgarh. Villages across Odisha will once again organise a series of Seva Mahotsavs, involving thousands of villagers.
Most large scale national events will continue to happen this year too. Across over 20 cities in the country, the Goonj #DaanUtsav Buses will travel through the city, enabling people to donate stationery, toys, clothes and other material. Hundreds of IOC petrol pumps in multiple cities will become venues for non-profits to showcase their work and seek support. And with the “digital era” upon us, online platforms will not be far behind, as people can make donations across various e-commerce and online grocery platforms, travel portals, cab aggregators and food delivery services.
#GivingTuesdayIndia will be celebrated on October 2 and expects to see over Rs15crore raised through online challenges and crowdfunding campaigns this year. Platforms like Danamojo, SmallChange, GivNow, Donatekart, Letzchange, GlobalGiving and several others will offer matching and challenge grants. The NPCI will promote giving via UPI to 500+ NGOs, while the IamHere app will allow 8700+ nonprofits to create engagement opportunities for the public.
The 10th year celebrations have a special logo. Rapper Big Deal alias Samir Mohanty has created a special #DaanUtsav rap, while Aman Shahpuri from Lucknow has composed a soulful song about giving to commemorate the 10th year.
Sharing and giving, brings smiles and happiness not only to the receiver but also to the giver – so let’s celebrate and encourage the spirit of giving with Daan Utsav. Gifting a small sandwich to the hungry child sitting on the streets, or teaching slum children can bring a smile or a real and long-lasting change. The idea of this movement is to create a culture of social commitment among individuals and institutions alike in making differences in the lives of the less privileged with all our support.