“Art of Giving” Volunteers Provide Succour to the Flood-hit
Massive floods resulting from heavy rainfall have engulfed vast swathes of populated land in Odisha. Downstream river Mahanadi inundated thousands of villages and vast tracts of farmlands. Lacs of vulnerable people and domestic animals have been marooned and rendered homeless. The fury of flood waters has forced them to live a life of great misery.
At this crucial and challenging time, the “Art of Giving” volunteers from KIIT Deemed to be University in collaboration with the local volunteers and ODRAF team members, braving their lives in the gushing flood waters, have come to the rescue of 500 stranded villagers of Sukhukhala under Banki subdivision in Cuttack district.
Playing the role of angels, the “Art of Giving” volunteers provided them with relief materials, including dry food, essential medicines, drinking water, sanitary napkins and fodder for livestock. It is noteworthy that the team was the first to reach the distressed people with relief materials which provided much-needed succour and emotional support in the hour of crisis. The team is active and is playing a crucial supportive role in various parts of the State.
“Art of Giving” is the brainchild of Prof. Achyuta Samanta, eminent educationist, philanthropist, Founder, KIIT & KISS and MP (Lok Sabha) from Kandhamal. The initiative which came as an epiphany to Prof. Samanta way back in 2013, has now taken deep roots as a civic movement and is celebrated worldwide as the “International Day of Art of Giving” on 17th May every year to spread the message of peace & happiness and provide support to the needy without any hope/aspirations of return to build a more compassionate, humane society towards an inclusive world.
The landmark supportive role played by the “Art of Giving” volunteers during COVID times with numerous relief activities which included providing dry/cooked food, health care & other services has been widely applauded on various national platforms. Providing much-needed succor during the hour of crisis has become the “mantra” for the volunteers of “Art of Giving”.
This effort made by the “Art of Giving” team members during the current devastating flood has been appreciated by the affected people of the village who have showered the volunteers with their blessings and have expressed their sincere gratitude from the core of their hearts to Prof. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, “Art of Giving”.