Total Views

Saturday, August 4, 2012

A few moments, hours. That's all it takes.


"Make a difference...make a difference.." Having heard this phrase so often all around us, it's almost on the verge of becoming a cliche now, if it already isn't. Coca Cola stepped forward, and took the initiative.

In our society, it's no surprise for the privileged ones to be living in their own bubbles, or turning a blind eye to the troubles which surround us.
However, there are some out there who are focused on making a difference. May it be small; it's the thought that counts, which, if transformed into our actions, can leave a remarkable impact on others’ life.

Few days back, I volunteered in a recycling campaign which was organized at a school established by Rana Liaquat Craftsmen Colony (RLCC) in what one could call, one of the city's ''Kacchi Abaddi's”. The activity was to educate children about reusing Coke PET bottles as the whole event was sponsored by The Coca-Cola Export Corporation.

The children's artwork on display
greeted us as we entered.

The Children at the school are those without secure futures, their present lives are grim, and little joy's
mean the world to them. As I and my team entered the school, it looked like the kids were having a blast of fun. There was music, food, a jumping castle, anything a child could ask for. The atmosphere was electrifying.

Once we stepped on stage to introduce ourselves, we received a grand entrance. The children clapped for us as we introduced ourselves, and there was some singing as well! (This, was quite un-expected, and honestly, one of the most embarrassing moments of my life, but hey, I had a good laugh.)

The warm welcome.
                                        
After that, we explained our objective of being there at the school. The children listened to us with a lot of interest. Their anticipation for something exciting ahead was evident. The children were then divided into groups, and Coca-Cola team explained them their assigned activities one by one. The first activity consisted of building plant pots in empty coke bottles. All the children were really enthusiastic about this project, and the hullabaloo commenced they began demanding for required material.

Children working on their flower coke projects.
                                          
The dolls!
The second activity involved making dolls using empty Coke PET bottles and some other stuff. Some other items were also created by reusing Coke PET bottles, such as cherry blossom artwork and Coke Coin Box. The next hour was spent in assisting children, admiring their work, and having that warm feeling inside as the kids worked with passion. I wondered what their motivation was, since they were treating this as a fun activity, not a chore. They were treating their projects like a challenge.
There was a series of 'oohs' and 'aahs' as the children began presenting their work, doing so with enthusiasm. The entire activity was based on such techniques of reusing Coke PET bottles that they could be made out of ordinary material too. The campaign was not only enjoyable for the students, but was quite productive as well.  After the end of the activity, all the projects were put on display.
Their flower coke bottle work on display
at the walls of the school.
                                       
Kudos to Coca-Cola team for organizing this event! The kids at RLCC have potential to prove themselves; all they need is a proper guidance and grooming.
If we do some analysis, we’ll realize that there's so much we can do to make a difference. There are loads of opportunities present around us.

Grab one.

9 comments:

  1. Good To See That =)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Had never heard of RLCC before. Its really inspiring to see that in all our gloom, such organizations exist and continue to do good work for the marginalized. Really great of Coca-Cola too to be supportive for such community initiatives

    ReplyDelete
  3. I truly appreciate Coke's philosophy of open happiness and this activity is a living proof that my favorite brand walks the talk :), hats off to Coke and RLCC for all the great work that they are doing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes you rarely see MNCs doing something really worthwhile for the community. Most of them are only concerned about their sales and profits.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks to Coca-Cola for spending a day with the leaders of tomorrow. Such platform for these little children will not only enable them to learn many new things but will also spark happiness in their eyes.Job well done

    ReplyDelete
  6. Environmental AyeshaAugust 6, 2012 at 11:53 AM

    Re-using empty PET bottles, what a fantastic idea! Coca-Cola in conjunction with RLCC have succesfully demonstrated how we can protect our planet through simple and small acts.

    A similar event should be brought to Lahore on the importance of recycling & re-using PET bottles.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Check this :
    http://www.google.fr/search?tbm=isch&source=mog&hl=fr&gl=fr&tab=wi&q=mus%C3%A9e%20quai%20branly&sa=N&biw=320&bih=508#i=4

    This is the quai branly museum. The famous architecture Jean Nouvel gave drawed an entire vegitative wall. that's what i think about when i saw coca cola bottle on that red wall. genius !

    ReplyDelete

Translate

Search This Blog