In a first, 60 NGOs come together at expo in Ludhiana
Gathered at Nehru Rose Garden, NGOs apprised visitors of the various causes they are pursuing like helping the disabled, underprivileged children and the elderly
With an aim to bring non-government organisations (NGO) in the city on a common platform and promote the spirit of volunteerism and philanthropy, the first-ever NGO expo in the state was organised at Nehru Rose Garden on Saturday on the occasion of World NGO Day.
Around 60 NGOs participated in the expo which was organised by Cityneeds Group. The NGOs apprised visitors of the works being carried out by them.
Cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu was the chief guest and mayor Balkar Sandhu, deputy commissioner Varinder Sharma and councillor Mamta Ashu also took part in the event.
From helping the disabled and underprivileged children, to helping the elderly, donating blood and extending help to stray dogs, the NGOs invited the visitors to join their cause. Yoga sessions, drawing competition for children and dance performances were also held.
The participating NGOs said through this platform, they will be able to spread awareness among residents regarding their work. Government departments, including traffic police and District Legal Services Authority, had also set up stalls to spread awareness on the services being provided by them.
Pawan, a representative of “Ek Jot Viklang Bachon Ka School”, located behind Westend Mall, said the NGO worked for the betterment of disabled students and helped them learn new skills to earn a livelihood.
“We are taking care of around 70 children, many of whom cannot even walk. Donations are always welcome and there are many articles made by the students, which visitors can buy. The expo is a great platform for us as more people might get associated with us,” he shared.
GL Arora, adviser of Senior Citizens Council of Ludhiana, said, “Not only to attract more volunteers, it is also a good platform to learn about different NGOs working in various fields.”
Rahul Verma, a member of Sambhav, said the event was aimed towards encouraging the spirit of volunteerism and philanthropy, and promoting social entrepreneurship.
Cityneeds recently launched a website, www.cityneeds.info, to connect local NGOs with volunteers, donors and district administration. Cabinet minister Ashu said that more such expos will be organised in the future and the administration will extend its full support to the cause.
With Municipal Corporation (MC) working to encourage waste segregation and reduce household waste generation, the civic body also established a stall in the expo urging the residents to make compost from kitchen waste.
MC joint commissioner Swati Tiwana, said, “Specially-prepared earthen pots to ready compost from kitchen waste were distributed by MC during the expo. We also displayed some artwork created out of waste to encourage residents to adopt recycling.”
Maheshwar Singh, an MC official, said compost can be made by keeping the waste in thespecially prepared earthen pot with little holes at the bottom for 45 days.