Introduction
The Community Welfare Cell is a body under the Students' Gymkhana, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. The realm of 'Community' for the Cell includes students, faculty, staff members of the campus, the workers and their families, and any and all individuals who are related to the campus. It is to this community that the Cell finds itself morally accountable. In a larger setup and a farther vision, the Cell shall try to realize the responsibilities of the institute with respect to the city of Kanpur.
Community Welfare Cell Wings
Prakriti
Prakriti, a part of Community Welfare Cell (CWC) was founded by a group of students, with an aim to
Prayas
PRAYAS, an endeavor of IIT Kanpur students, is primarily focused on providing education to marginalized
Raktarpan
Blood cannot be manufactured in factories; it can only come from generous donors. To cater to this
Unmukt
Unmukt is a students' collective of IIT Kanpur which acts as a forum for gender and sexual diversity.
Vivekananda Samiti
Vivekananda Samiti channels Swami Vivekananda's teachings into practical activities, fostering positive
Collaboration with other communities and clubs
The Community Welfare Cell collaborates seamlessly with various clubs and societies at IIT Kanpur, fostering a united effort towards social impact and welfare. By joining forces with diverse organizations, the cell maximizes its reach and effectiveness, channeling collective energies to address community needs and contribute positively to society. This collaborative approach enhances the impact of initiatives, ensuring a holistic and well-coordinated effort towards the betterment of the community and beyond.
Some of the collaborations are:
UNTAMING SPIRITS
In celebration of the historic abolition of Article 377, marking a significant milestone in decriminalizing homosexuality, we organized an event called Untaming Spirits. Held at a popular cafe in collaboration with the Music club, the open mic gathering provided a platform for individuals to express themselves freely. The atmosphere buzzed with energy as attendees engaged in fun games, utilized a vibrant photo booth, and embraced creativity with paints available for designing on themselves.
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COME AS YOU AREN'T
In a spirited affair, we hosted "Come as You Aren't," a unique event encouraging participants to dress up as their favorite characters from books or movies. The venue transformed into a lively space with disco, entertaining questions centered around gender equality and the LGBTQ community, and even pronoun name tags for everyone to proudly display throughout the festivities. The night crescendoed with karaoke, fostering a sense of unity and celebration within the diverse community present. Both events aimed at fostering inclusivity and embracing individuality in a world that is progressively recognizing and respecting diversity.
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Republic Day Camp
On the auspicious occasion of the 75th Republic Day, Raktarpan, IIT Kanpur, in collaboration with Rotary Club of Kanpur Shaurya and BloodConnect, organized the Diamond Jubilee Mega Blood Donation Camp at the IIT Kanpur campus. Held across the venues at Yoga Hall, Hall 2, GH 1 and Hall 12, the event saw coordinated efforts from IMA Charitable Blood Bank, GSVM Medical College,Kanpur Blood Bank, Dr shyam bihari tiwari charitable blood centre and D Stairs Charitable Blood Bank. Encouraging participation from a large number of students, faculty, and staff members amplified the significance of the noble cause. The event recorded a total of 355 donors voluntarily registering to donate blood and after due mandatory medical checkups, 316 units of blood were received. From Raktarpan, Akshat Jain, Mitali Khetan, and Reeteswaroop Singh coordinated the event, along with various other student volunteers.
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Collaboration with Prayas for Competitions
Making a Lifesaving Impact Together! On the occasion of World Blood Donor Day, Prayas and Raktarpan came together to create a powerful impact. Alongside the blood donation camp, the talented children of Prayas participated in an inspiring poster making activity, advocating for the noble cause of blood donation. Through their artistry, they conveyed a powerful message, inspiring others to join this life-saving initiative. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the donors, volunteers, and organizations involved for their unwavering support and commitment to this noble cause. Together, we are making a difference and inspiring others to join us in this lifesaving mission.
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Activities of Community Welfare Cell
Projects with NGOs
We primarily collaborate with NGOs like Pratisandhi, which work to create awareness about sex education and work on some social welfare projects related to sex education, health and hygiene, or any other general social issues faced by the community. We also collaborate with them and call volunteers from campus for the local NGOs nearby, especially during breaks, to increase social work and volunteerism on campus.
VYLC(Vivekananda Youth Leadership Convention)
Prayas Premier League
Prayas Premier League (PPL) is a cricket series organized in summers for the kids as well as the volunteers. Apart from teaching teamwork and help achieve goals. Playing a sport makes one learn accountability, dedication and leadership. Hence it becomes important to organize such events. PPL 2015 was conducted with the same spirit from 21May 2015-2 June 2015. There were five teams comprising of the kids and the volunteers. PPL concluded successfully with 12 matches.
Cloth Donation
For the past few years, we have been trying our best to distribute clothes during winter (blankets and basic winter garments) to the needy and homeless people in Kanpur city and villages around Kanpur. We plan to raise funds to distribute 'kambals', 'woollen caps', and 'socks' to as many people in the city, railway station, and villages as we can within our capacity.
