Go out and serve..

…your country and countrymen

In 2003, when Vinayak Lohani passed out of the Indian Institute of Management at Kolkata (Calcutta), he could have done what thousands of his fellow alumni have done before him or since. He could have chased money, fame and fortune as a corporate honcho or an investment banker. At any rate, even if he decided to strike out on his own, he could have done it to become rich and famous.
To everyone’s surprise, but his own, Vinayak chose to be different. He took a small house on rent on the outskirts of Kolkata, in 2003, and gave shelter to 3 destitute children. This was the humble beginning of Parivaar, an organisation that has grown into one that shelters more than 400 children and makes them ready for the world outside through taking care of their nutrition, education and character building. For the full story of their beginning, click here.
What is Parivaar? An extract from their website says it best:

“Parivaar is a humanitarian service organisation, based in 24 Parganas (S), West Bengal, and at present is chiefly working for total care and overall development of children from categories like orphans, girl children highly vulnerable to exploitation, victimization, and trafficking, street children, abandoned children, extremely impoverished children from tribal areas and other such highly vulnerable children at Parivaar Ashram, Village- Barkalikapur, P.O. Bakhrahat, District 24 Parganas (South), West Bengal.
Starting from scratch and thereafter developed brick by brick, Parivaar Ashram is being continuously developed and moulded into a unique institution transforming the lives of each of its residential members (children and adults) and acting as a training ground of highly dedicated life-committed grassroots workers. As on 15th March ’09 there are 402 resident children and 35 Seva-Vratees (Resident Service Corps) and 40 other day-time workers at Parivaar. “
Why did we pick Parivaar?

“There is no outgoing fund-raising done through events or publicity campaigns. In fact there is no Parivaar worker with the role of publicity / fund-raising. It is our strong conviction (which has been now validated through experience) that works done with the spirit of total devotion to the idea of service attracts sensitive persons to this mission.”
“Go out and serve your country and countrymen” was the sign just inside the gate of Visvesvrayya Hostel in Institute of Technology, BHU, where I had studied. Vinayak Lohani, an alumnus of IIT-KGP and IIM Calcutta, answered the call. Vinayak, this fellow alumnus of IIMC of the 1992 batch, salutes you and the organization you have built.