Standing tall amid bulletin boards: handmade posters

Bulletin Boards across colleges are displaying a variety of admission notifications, accommodation advertisements and college activities. Standing out amidst them is a bunch of handmade posters talking about social issues such as a clean campus, leadership issues, health and AIDS awareness and environment.

Made by a motley group of youngsters from the voluntary organization Sanskaari, the posters have been designed to catch the attention of fuchchas thronging to Delhi University. “The first year of college is all about fun. There is not much academic pressure and we want students to take time out and contribute to our cause,” says vice-president Chaitanya Jha, a graduate of Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce (GGSCC).

Sanskaari was formed two years back by students from various DU colleges. While some are studying, others have begun working but continue to support the cause. “None of us are full time social workers. We are doing different things in life but continue working for our organization,” says Jha, who will begin his MBA programme at MDI Gurgaon this year.

The group under its Sanskaari Pathshala programme has adopted four slums in Delhi including one near North Campus. While their Green Team generates awareness about environmental issues by doing radio shows on DU’s community radio, the Young Leaders Mission focuses on producing leaders out of schoolchildren. “We want to change attitudes,” says Jha.

With 60 members, they have been able to sustain their finances with the membership fee of Rs 100 per month.

"A lot of us are management students and we have utilized our knowledge and skills to streamline our financial expenditure," says Jha. Interestingly, despite moving away from the city, members are closely involved in the causes they support. "The entire idea is to sustain ground work. So we take our work wherever we go,” said Jaspreet Kaur, DU alumni and at present doing her MBA in Nagpur. "Students are very interested. Most of them are passionate about various causes and only need a platform," Jaspreet said, flashing a list of phone numbers and email ids she had managed to collect.

Sanskaari will hold a new volunteers meet soon after the new academic session begins at DU.