Our inspiration
An ancient Indian proverb reads, “All that is not given is lost.” Indeed, the quote speaks a great deal about the innate obligation we have, as members of humanity, to give all that we can to charity. Over the past few weeks, countless people have come to me with ideas for the new Charity Committee, which is to be restructured this year, and I have been struck each time by the capacity of society to feel moved, and to take action. I have been genuinely touched by the sheer devotion most people seem to have for charity, and the creative approach they take to fundraising. No longer is charity about throwing money at the anonymous poor; today’s charitable leaders look to send supplies, and offer active service, which is a donation that far supercedes the much less personal gift of money. As President of the Charity Committee this year, I look forward to seeing what people do in order to offer their support to those in need.
The new Charity Committee will be restructured in true Communist style, with six sub commissions and equal representation- as well as some advice and input from your friendly dictators, Nayana Prakash (yours truly) and Aashini Shrivastav…or as we prefer to call ourselves, Mao and Jiang Qing. The six sub-commissions will represent the charities of the Ray school in Ethiopia, the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, Harmony House in Delhi, the Dhaka Project, MSF and Nepal’s Children of the Mountain charity, as well as the charity events of World Food Day and Music, Charity, Love. Under the new structure, the sub-commissions will work virtually independently of each other, which should leader to a greater sense of participation and, hopefully, more work being done. However, during such events as World Food Day and Music, Charity, Love, we do hope that the Charity Committee will band together in order to support each other, as well as a good cause. Additionally, though a great number of charities do not have permanent footholds in the Committee, we are always open for ideas and charitable events which we can become involved in, something which many students have already noticed.
The year ahead looks to be a promising one, with events slotted in for nearly every week of the school calendar. With numerous applications rolling in, I feel confident that the new Charity Committee, with Aashini and I, as well as Mr. Dennis, Ms. Foulkes and Mrs. Greenlees to supervise it, will be capable of revolutionizing the charitable aspect of the school. As busy as the year will be, I know that the school will always be willing and eager to help out in any way possible. Although the Committee is for sixth formers only, compassion knows no boundaries, and we can all become involved in some way or another, and if you do have ideas, I urge you to seek out the people mentioned above in order for your voices to be heard. With Pink Day and Breast Cancer Awareness Month right around the corner, I am certain that the response will be immense. Now is the time to step forward with your ideas; now is the bring to life the ideas that you have always wished to implement. As my personal mentor, Chairman Mao, once said, “Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend”; this year, we want to hear your ideas, your schools of thought. Although we may not be able to accommodate every suggestion, let the Charity Committee be your sounding board so that we can support your endeavours outside of school, either in a professional or personal capacity. For the coming month, think pink, and think big: in the true spirit of Communism and charity, let us be united in whatever we strive for- and let this year be a fruitful one.
