Inveighing against established customs, 49 students from Indira College, Wakad visited an orphanage Avishri Balsadan in Daund on January 27. The 49 brass-tacks leaders have now founded Samarpan, a group that looks to visiting the orphanage once a month to shoulder allotted responsibilities.

The January visit witnessed a tree plantation drive in the vicinity of the orphanage by the students. The college students involved the children of the orphanage in planting certain plants and setting up a vegetable garden near the orphanage. The day also saw the eager children putting up a dance show for the guests.

Avishri Balsadan, the orphanage that houses about 20-orphaned children, was set up on August 16, 1996 by Shreemal Katariya of Kasarwadi. Put on his mettle, Anilkumar Katariya, the son of the family, has since been a pivotal element in the functioning of the orphanage. The orphanage currently is supported by a government grant for ten students and accepts donations of any kind.

Mallikarjun Reddy, a member of the group, recounts their experience with the children from the orphanage and bemoans of the fact that they did not know the troubles of the outside world before the visit and have pledged to visit the orphanage atleast once a month.

Actualizing their vision for the orphanage, the students are also creating a website for the orphanage which they plan on launching on May 1. Antriksh Shah, a student of the college who is currently working on the website along with his friends Chinmay Das and Rohit Khirapat, says, "The website is still in its nascent stage. We have all the data on hand and the website will be ready to be launched on May 1."

They have subscribed to visit the place again on May 1, the day when they celebrate the collective birthdays of all the children of the orphanage.

Trupti Pahad, another member notices, "The orphanage is very well managed with the available funds but it requires contribution, financial and participative, from the people." By the same token, Vishwajit Kulkarni, a student of BCS at the college, commits to his contribution, whereby, he says, the trend of extravagant celebration of their birthdays will stop and the money instead will be donated to the orphanage.

Pankaj Katariya, a BCA student of the college initiated the group. Speaking from the heart, he says, "Society should take an initiative and contribute in its own amelioration."