As a kid, I
wanted to be a Petroleum Engineer, as a strong passion was instilled in me, and
following my fatherÂs footsteps became my dream. After school, I attended
college with a predefined goal and path. Little did I know that life had
different plans for me, and I would drop out of college and rationalize with my
parents to pursue social work. It was indeed a
battleground back at home, but aura, the guiding light was so intense that I
could not deter from my path, I knew if I donÂt do it now, I wonÂt ever, and I
lived by these lines: ÂWhen I die, I want to be remembered for the life I
lived, not the money I made.Â
I am a
person who isnÂt afraid to live his life drenched in every shade and colour of
the rainbow and walk the untrodden paths. My parents questioned my decision to
opt for social work, and their main concern was how I would earn a living for
myself. The fears of my parents were a genuine concern. Still, I left no stone
unturned to gain their vote of confidence by displaying exemplary work in my
first campaign of stationary distribution and computer system installation in
government schools.
Since 2015,
JOY has been working with youth and school-going children in different
capacities. We started with Education Camps, Blood Donation Camps, Health Camps
and transcended to Environment-Conscious and Sustainable Living Campaigns like
Plantation drives, beat plastic pollution awareness campaigns and paper bag
making workshops, Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives, Clean up drives
at Beatles Ashram Rishikesh, Clothes Distribution drive at AryanagarBasti,
Menstrual Awareness Campaign, Sanitary Pad Distribution drive, LED bulb
distribution in the uphills, Animal Welfare work, and other such activities.
In 2020, the
pandemic gripped the world and shook its foundation, so we strategized to do
our part by helping in providing Covid Relief.
After
working tirelessly during the second wave of COVID-19, the founder of
Dehradun-based NGO Just Open Yourself (JOY), Jai Sharma, has commenced with the
initiative of adopting 100 children who lost both their parents to the deadly
virus.
Speaking about the adoption drive, the Founder of JOY, Jay Sharma, said, ÂWhen the second wave of COVID-19 started, we encountered five such families in the initial two weeks where both the parents had died, and the child/children were left alone at home. A few of these children were of classes 4th-5th age group, one was in 12th, and the rest were small in age. At that moment, it hit our mind that this unfortunate scenario was inevitable, and we were to come across more such cases as the pandemic rose.Â
Adding
further, he said, ÂTo date, we have adopted 20 orphaned children under JOY and
are taking care of their food, medicine, and finances, among other important
aspects. Out of these 20 children, only two are from Dehradun, and the rest
belong to the hills. Within a week, we will be completing our target of
adopting 50 children, followed by 100 children eventually. I, JaiSharma from
JOY, am there to support these children by any means possible, till the time
they become self-sufficient!Â
The team of
JOY is reaching out to various villages in the hills of Uttarakhand. The Gram
Pradhans of these villages is in constant touch with JOY members, wherein the
former will inform if any child/children get orphaned.
JOY has been
actively working in supporting the masses from the initial stage of the
COVID-19 pandemic. The NGO has been procuring and distributing 24×7 Oxygen
Cylinders free of cost as medical supplies with no refilling and security charges.
The team also distributed COVID medical kits, sanitization kits (included
sanitary pads, sanitizers, masks, soaps) along with other medical equipment to
those in need. JOY made every effort to provide help to distant areas in the
state and supplied ration kits, including atta, rice, sugar, spices, dal, and
oil.
With my
indomitable spirit and the efforts of my team, I wish to strive in the future
with the same vision.