Krishnakumar IP - Nominee - Social Volunteer Awards 2021

I am Krishnakumar IP, a young professional social worker from Kerala. My native place is Ernakulum. My family includes parents and an elder brother, his wife and daughter. I completed my post-graduation degree in Master of social work from Bharata Mata School of Social Work, Kochi. My interested area is child and elderly, in that itself I initiated more in supporting and engaging in child related activities those focusing to polish the talents and creativeness of each child. It includes children from various profile like Tribal, Slums, Urban and Rural areas. During the Covid-19 pandemic period I got an opportunity to be a volunteer under the District Hental Health Program, Ernakulum and It helps me to polish out my counseling skills. Also, during this pandemic period I organized community programs and campaigns for elderly, chellanam coastal area and ottamasheri coastal area.

VOLUNTEERING FOR ME Volunteering is an art were one spares his/her time for others, most importantly focusing towards the betterment and development of the community. volunteer means when a person comes in front to do something for others, this sort of act itself is the most beautiful form of action that one individual can do. Volunteering works leads to receiving inner happiness through various things that we do to the community without expecting anything in return and the only happiness which money cant give. VOLUNTEERING STORY I have been engaging in the volunteering activities for the past 6 years, it began during my graduation. It provides me more opportunity to do things to others. In the beginning stage of my volunteering career I didn’t give much importance to it, soon by engaging in more activities it helped me to polish myself in providing services. In the beginning, the department registered a social club “Literary Academia Alliance” focusing on engaging the students with social activities and initiatives. Through this club we visited old age homes, special schools, deaf schools and other vulnerably challenged areas. This was a turning point in my life. I also got an opportunity to begin a part-time tuition for elderly people to learn English language. There were around 10 participants and I conducted sessions on the basic of English language.

I also worked in an NGO “Amaara Foundations”, it was a full time volunteering works. We focused on the development of the children our organization functioned in Ernakulum and Chennai. In Ernakulum we focused on 6 schools and from there with the help of teachers we selected the most vulnerable and challenged students. Through various activities and learning’s we motivated the students to step into their dreams.

My passion towards social activities insisted me to learn something related to society and engage in activities that will foster the betterment of the community. In my post-graduate degree I opted social work since it provides me exposure and to take up opportunities. The thing that I learned is that each volunteering works has its own freshness. Throughout my social work training period I got opportunities to volunteer for Tribal Department Ernakulum, District Mental Health Program Ernakulum, Social Justice Department Ernakulum, Petronet Project, Aadhi Shakthi Summer School- Tribal Upliftment, and Help age India and CHAI-Kerala.

My inspiration for volunteering is the unexpected incidents that happened in my life during my childhood. Where I didn’t receive any acceptance or individuality and I was totally isolated situation. At the time, when I focused towards others and engage in activities that will help someone else, slowly the recognition and acceptance came to me. More than that the inner happiness, it foster me to do more things to others. We only have one life to live, if we do good things to others that positive qualities reflects on ourselves “KARMA” .

VOLUNTEERING JOURNEY My volunteering story begins during college days it was during 2016 and here I get an opportunity to be a part of our club “Literary Academia Alliance” through this club various social activities were been fulfilled. Our teachers support and guide us in initiating and promoting socially relevant needs in our community. By joining hand with “Haritha Keralam Mission” we organized our first official program in promoting the domestic farming and all. The sustainable program that I get an opportunity to organize is to provide mid-day meal to the patients who were admitted in Government Ayurveda Medical College, Thripunithura. It was like campaigns were we received a massive support from our department as well as from the whole college. We also initiated tuition classes for elderly people in order to learn English and Hindi languages.

I joined “Amaara Foundations” during the year 2018; this NGO was focused towards the betterment of the children who were facing challenges in their life. Through our weekly sessions in the selected schools from the district, happiness and learning programs were conducted to the students. We conducted exposure visits, vocational training and happiness programs for the students.

During the year 2019, my social work career began, were I found various volunteering activities. It varied according to the mission, vision and the targeted population of the organizations. I got an opportunity to take up internship at the Tribal Department, Ernakulum; soon it helped me to engage in more activities. The volunteering activities that we conducted there is mainly conducting awareness sessions, games, counseling sessions, motivational sessions, career guidance, tuition classes, yoga classes and the activities that will benefit them.

During the year 2020, I got an opportunity to volunteer in District Mental Health Program Ernakulum. This was a great achievement for me because through DMHP I was able to understand the status of the Covid patients, children and elderly and also acknowledged their psychosocial needs. If in case of serious issues we provide tele-counselling for them and make the strategies to receive materials for the needy ones. This is when I realized the importance of lending time, listen and be a support hand for others.

Bharata Mata School of Social Work, our department a