TNT India will collect used cards from its customers and the general public. Boxes have been placed at the reception counters of all TNT offices. The month-long exercise will run till January 31.

The cards will be donated to those welfare organisations in Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Calcutta and New Delhi who reuse or recycle them as tools of education or as part of their income generation programmes for educating poor children. ``Every year, thousands of used cards find their way to waste paper bins. This year, we decided to spearhead all efforts of reusing the cards for a cause, by launching this programme in major metros of the country'' says Ajay Kaul, sales and marketing head with TNT India. The company conducted the pilot project in 1998, in association with the Spastics Society of Karnataka.

The SpasticsSociety of Karnataka is engaged in helping and caring for children with disabilities caused by neuro-muscular disorders like cerebral palsy. The mission of the society is to help these children realise their potential to the fullest, so that they can lead a more active and meaningful life. More than 170 children study in the society. The children at the Spastics Society have been generating special cards for TNT for the past three years. The company is sourcing the cards in order to develop exclusive cards for their clients and also provide a platform for spastic kids to display their artistic faculties.

TNT is a company that believes in helping the community, with a sharp focus on helping physically challenged kids. ``Every individual in the society (irrespective of the mental or physical state) has something unique and interesting to contribute to the society. All they require is an opportunity that encourages this. Our objective is to identify and offer such opportunities. We want to invest time andenergy in unravelling the hidden creativity of physically challenged children. This is much better than just putting our monetary resources there,'' says Kaul.

Going by last year's experience, TNT hopes to collect about 10,000 cards in the exercise. The company has tied up with NGOs in all the key metros for the campaign. NGOs participating in this project include the New Delhi-based Ashray; the Institute of Speech and Hearing, Bangalore; Concern India Foundation and Shelter Don Bosco, Mumbai, and Udavam Karangal, Chennai.``The project will motivate children to display their artistic skills. The used cards can be recycled by them to make wall hangings and teaching aids. They can be cut and pasted to make beautiful puppets, too,'' says Padma Upadhayay, spokesperson, Mobile Creches, New Delhi.

So this year, before you throw your old cards away, remember, you could bring in a brighter tomorrow for children by dropping them at TNT offices. In New Delhi, you can donate your used cards at E-4, Defence Colony,and in Bangalore at 82/1, Richmond Road.