Volunteers spend time with underprivileged children celebrating International Day of Service in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, May 9: Volunteers from the state and other parts of the country came together to observe May 7 as the International Day of Service. The day was celebrated for the first time in the state, as volunteers from across the world joined hands to “act together” for a better world.

Leading the campaign in the country was Bakul Foundation, a Bhubaneswar-based youth volunteer group. The organisation, which started working on it only a fortnight ago, had managed to mobilise over 1,000 volunteers across 25 cities in the country through a social networking site.

“We had initially decided to involve only 100 volunteers. But the campaign took off so well that we raised our target to 1,000 volunteers across 20 cities in India,” said Shivangi Garg, an engineering student, who coordinated the event here.

The young volunteers contacted several academic institutions and various student groups came forward to participate in observing the International Day of Service. To garner further support, the foundation had partnered with the women and child development department for logistical aid and Swash Group of Companies for material help.

“Initially, we had thought of spending time with the needy and disadvantaged people at orphanages and old-age homes of the city. Secretary of the women and child development department Arati Ahuja, who was one of the most active volunteers, suggested that we should also extend this campaign to the anganwadi centres,” said Garg.

The event was flagged off at the Bakul Children’s Library here by Ahuja on May 7. The volunteers spent time with the children of Madhurmayee Ashram, a shelter home for the children of convicts. Various interactive and recreational activities such as storytelling, reading, story construction, face painting, theatre, games and dance were held there throughout the day. After Ahuja narrated a story in Oriya to the children, Marieke Bake, a Dutch volunteer, entertained them with a mesmerising dance session.

These activities were simultaneously held in 28 anganwadi centres and 11 orphanages in Bhubaneswar, and five anganwadi centres and five orphanages each in Cuttack, Paradip, Rourkela and Kalinganagar.

A group of young men took up a cleanliness drive in Mangalajodi village on the Chilika. The day was observed with full fervour in other cities in the country as well.

“This was the biggest event of my life. The kids did not want to let go of us. They took our numbers and requested us to come back,” said Bhanu Prakash, a college student.

“It was a great experience for me. I look forward to more such activities. Some of the kids we met were really bright. It hurts to even think that they may not be able to realise their full potentialities because of barriers that are clearly evident to all of us,” said Sameer Arora, a volunteer, who is a software engineer by profession.