On Friday, the thirty-first of May, 2013, also known to some of us as the World No Tobacco Day, at 4:30 PM, my friends and I, with the collaboration of our college, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal and Oral Cancer Awareness Drive, Oral Cancer Organization, organized a walk with the intention of raising awareness about oral cancer, its causes and means of prevention among the students and the local populace of the KMC campus of Manipal University.
Despite the monsoon having begun not a week prior, we had the good fortune of having fair weather for the entirety of the walk. Another way in which we were blessed was the enthusiasm of all those involved, be they volunteers, organizers, or members of our faculty, dropping by to check in on the walks progress.
We circled around the campus over the duration of a little less than two and a half hours, beginning from our college’s entrance and ending at the KMC food court, during which we distributed pamphlets (in both, Kannada and the English language) to every person, store, vehicle and restaurant we happened to pass by. By the end of the walk, we’d distributed well over two thousand pamphlets. It was truly heartening to see the people’s interest when they’d ask us questions, or when we’d see someone reading the pamphlets at a later time. I feel the volunteers deserve a special mention for their enthusiasm, which was evident when they continued distributing pamphlets and speaking with passers-by, even during the mid-walk break we’d had.
All in all, I would have to say it has been a most memorable experience, for myself as well as all others who were involved. It is a truly gratifying experience to know you’ve made even the smallest difference and I look forward to seeing how this progresses and the results it bears.
About the Author: This is a guest post by S.A. Shams, a student at the Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal.
Be the first to comment