Challenging the younger generation to turn change makers

“Divide a sheet of paper and make a list on how much you give and what you receive. What you take would outnumber the other by several counts,” said C Kartheeban, founder of Team Everest addressing 500-odd students of Glendale Academy at Hyderabad as part of the ‘Be the Change Challenge Series,’ a social initiative of The Weekend Leader.

Kartheeban spoke about his life journey as a volunteer, and Team Everest, the NGO he founded (Photos: H K Rajashekar)

It did not take long for the students, staff and everyone else present in the sprawling auditorium to realise that we seldom give but receive a lot.

On the other hand, Kartheeban and his team of 9,000-plus volunteers offer their time and knowledge to equip the underprivileged children living in our cities with the ability to face the future with confidence.

P C Vinoj Kumar, Editor, The Weekend Leader, explained the vision of the magazine in promoting social consciousness among children

Team Everest volunteers offer free tuition classes, teach science, arithmetic and computers to thousands of children from poor families. Kartheeban had quit a high paying job to take up volunteering as a full-time activity.

The Weekend Leader has been taking change makers like Kartheeban to schools to inspire and motivate students to give back to society. The programme, which is into its second year, is being held in Hyderabad for the first time.

Students interacting with Kartheeban after his inspiring speech

P C Vinoj Kumar, Editor of The Weekend Leader and The Lead Star magazine says, “The Weekend Leader believes that there is a lot of good happening in the world and there is a need to celebrate this goodness and spread it all around.”

Students of Glendale Academy listened with rapt attention as the life of Kartheeban unfolded in a matter of minutes over a series of slides on the projector.

When Kartheeban mentioned quitting his job to become a full-time volunteer, it was greeted with thunderous applause.

It did not stop there, claps in sporadic regularity reverberated the auditorium each time he showed a slide about how he donated the dead bodies of his parents for medical research, or when he decided to add his wife’s name after his own name, and when he decided to distribute saplings to guests on the day of his wedding.

The Weekend Leader’s social initiative is intended to motivate the younger generation and to tickle their social consciousness. Kartheeban’s talk achieved the purpose and one could see inspired students crowding him after his talk wanting to know more about his work.

VIT Chancellor G Viswanathan giving a message to the students on 'Being a Change Maker' via video

Earlier, P C Vinoj Kumar while speaking to the students said that happiness did not lie in owning the best car or the best address in town, but it did in looking within oneself and discovering it deep within.

He added, “Success is not about meeting the expectations or standards of others, but it’s about being honest to yourself and making the best of what lies within you, by developing your own talents and skills.”

Students flipping through The Lead Star magazine

Shoma Goswami, principal, Glendale Academy appreciated the initiative of The Weekend Leader and said that human beings are good by heart and the magazine was spreading this message.

Concurring with view, Minu Khan, assistant director, Glendale Academy said, “A number of students were inspired and the school is looking forward to more change makers in the coming days.” – TWL Bureau