AASRA - Because They Need Us

“Which party are you from, Sahaab…?” was the response we got when we asked for their verification IDs. As clichéd as it sounds, that’s the plight of the underprivileged people who are deprived of  basic amenities and attention living their lives in a vast ocean of misery.   Little Rohan hasn’t got the chance to hold a pencil yet, because he has come to believe that helping his family in earning some money is more significant than reading some scripts, while a tender Devaki has an uncanny sense of pride that she won’t be a burden to her family anymore as she is going to get married before her 16 th birthday. In the months of November-December 2018, members of AASRA visited 6 leprosy colonies based in the slums of Rourkela and documented the grievances of differently-abled people residing in these areas. Shri Sannyas Behera (OAS) had requested the members of AASRA to step up to which the members promptly acted upon. The places covered during this duration were Bengali Basti,

What is the most important thing you did today? Not many can claim to have saved a life. What if I told you it just takes an hour. Yes, of course, I am talking about blood donation. It is such a noble thing to do, yet so easy.      Contributing to this cause, AASRA in association with SHRADDHA FOUNDATION and SAMBAD- AMA ODISHA organized a blood donation camp at the CULTURAL ACADEMY, SECTOR 5 on 17th March 2019. It was subject to voluntary participation and was open to all. The drive achieved it’s intended success as 31 units of blood were collected, contributed by 30 donors. Here is how the event folded out. First up, volunteers from AASRA arrived at the CULTURAL ACADEMY by 9 A.M. to make sure the arrangements were all in place. They helped in the preparations as they were joined at the location by representatives of Rourkela Blood Bank. Donors started to come by 10 A.M. More   donors and volunteers from NITR arrived at 10.30 A.M. prior to donation the donors were counselled

Holi is considered as one of the most awaited festivals of India, celebrated throughout the country. The vibrant and festive occasion was celebrated on 22nd March of this year. The colours are still prominent on some hands, the memories and experiences stacking up each year. It is a festival of colours, of cherishing love and strengthening our bonds.                      AASRA, the social club of NIT Rourkela, celebrated this occasion at its different workplaces. Like every year, on the day of Holi, the members of the club aka Aasraites, left for their respective workplaces in the morning hour. Sweets were distributed among the children and elders, there was music and the air filled with the different hues of the Holi colours. The elders were greeted by applying gulaal at their feet. The members danced together with the children, posing and clicking pictures. Time spent with children is incomplete without a bit of competition. At the workplace Chhend, quizzes were held, wi

One of the most celebrated days in India, 26 January, happens to have an added importance for all Aasrites. Reason being, it is the foundation day of AASRA.            As is the norm, Aasra celebrated its foundation day in the NIT premises. Attended by 201 children from the workplaces, all Aasrites, several dignitaries and alumni, it was a grand success. Events and Happenings:     The children were brought into the campus by 7:45 via buses. Waiting for them at CC were full plates of Upma and curry and some gentle rain. They were then escorted to the BBA for the main event.     The event witnessed its sunrise as the chief guests Prof. S.K.Patel (Registar), Prof. S.K.Das , Prof.R.K.Biswal , Prof.S.Jayanthu, Prof.Saurav Chatterjee, Prof.S.N.Alam, Prof.Thirugnanam, Mrs.Sukhanti Maharana, Mr.K.C.Maharana, Mr. Suman Upadhyay (senior counsellor, SOS Village) and our alumnus Anup Agarwal (2012 batch) lighted the diya. All the guests were presented with a glass painting and a bo

If you’ve ever visited AASRA’s Sector 21 workplace (formerly Leprosy Colony) on a Wednesday afternoon, you would probably have witnessed people resting peacefully in their huts, children coming back from school for a short afternoon snooze before their evening shenanigans. But the Wednesday of 13th March 2019 wasn’t like its average Wednesday. You could see people of all ages, from babies of the age of three to old people in their seventies, running to the entrance of the colony. Many men and women of the Naya Bazaar area immediately shut their shops to rush to the colony. People of the nearby apartments and offices flocked to their balconies to catch a glimpse of what was happening. Homemakers hurriedly closed the doors to their houses and gathered to witness something they never had. RITVIC, the cultural club of NIT Rourkela under Manthan, India’s largest street play festival had decided to perform a street play (Nukkad Natak) in AASRA’s sector 21. Here’s how it went down. The eveni