Creating Smiles, One Sapling at a Time

After a long break in activities brough about by the pandemic induced lockdown, we were both excited and nervous about our first Creating Smiles initiative in 2 years. Helping to create a green cover for a protected lake in Bangalore with a sapling plantation drive.??

As registrations started pouring in…first 20…then 40 and soon 70 we doubled up to ensure each and every aspect of the event was carefully planned out; Transportation for the participants, refreshments, arrangements at the venue & timely communication to the volunteers.?

Saturday 11 June | 7:00 AM | Let the day begin!??

The day finally dawns, and I am racing towards the venue, Jakkur Lake, Yelahanka to be there in time to welcome our volunteers. To my pleasant surprise few had already arrived, waiting patiently and all geared up and ready for the day. This calmed my nerves to a great extent as I started feeling confident of a robust participation. Our NGO partners, Youth for Seva (YFS) were also present, and we go over the plans one final time.?

8:45 AM | Time to Fuel up!?

Volunteers start arriving and soon we have a sizable gathering. It’s time to fuel up our energy reserves with a light breakfast??

9:15 AM | Ready, Get Set, Plant!??

We are now 71 volunteers (including family members of some of our colleagues) all eager to do their bit for the environment and the community we are a part of. The YFS team kick-starts the day’s agenda with a briefing followed by some wise words from Dr. Annapurna Kamath from JalaPoshan. JalaPoshan is a citizens organisation which maintains the Jakkur Lake and would also be maintaining the saplings that we planted.??

9:45 AM | We are the champions!?

Everyone is eager to get started what a start it was! The JalaPoshan team had ensured that the saplings and the tools were all ready. At the word go, colleagues just took over the plantation area and started planting with gusto. Such was the enthusiasm and energy that in no time, over 200 saplings had been planted with a lot of care. Small children were also getting a lesson in caring for our environment by their doting parents.??

The Volunteers were not satisfied yet, so a request was made to JalaPoshan to provide us with more saplings. By the end of the activity, 300 saplings had been planted with a lot of love by our societal impact champions.??

11:30 AM | It’s a green wrap??

Time to wrap up. We all gathered at the observation point sharing feedback over a glass of juice. A few photographs later we were all ready to return home. But not before expressing our deepest gratitude to Youth for Sewa (YFS) & JalaPoshan for facilitating a truly productive day.??

I was amongst the last ones to leave the venue after seeing off my Danish colleague, Jesper who had also joined us for the activity.?

On my way back, I heard this song play on Red FM and wondered if it was just a co-incidence or a sign?that we need to do more. The song penned by Gulzar is a cry to stop deforestation and welcome greenery back. Definitely a sign that we need to do more.??

I am sure you will agree with me after listening to this:

Dhoop Paani Bahne De kk (Official Video)| Sherdil The Pilibhit Saga | KK New Song 2022 | Pankaj T - YouTube?

It’s in all our collective hands. We can bring the green revolution back as individuals and as part of the Creating Smiles family at Danske IT. Proud of you my friends! Let's continue Creating Smiles for our colleagues, our environment, and the societies we are a part of.??