Students-driven NGO a role model for others

Hyderabad: A bunch of students of Aurora Degree and PG College, founded an NGO, 'Sri Rajamatha Foundation,' to help the underprivileged students and destitutes. Going beyond just attending classes at the college, the members of this NGO are setting an example in utilising the free time for community services.  

The student-run NGO, based in Boduppal, was set up by Uday Kumar Reddy along with his brother Manoj Reddy and a friend Srinivas in 2012. The NGO aims to make a difference by helping the poor, old, underprivileged students, villagers, blind and people who need blood.

The group is also active in taking up environment-friendly and green initiatives. The team that started with 3 volunteers now has 3,000 plus volunteers. Uday said, "As a part of the society, I feel responsible to contribute to it and since I joined NSS in my college, I felt the need to start this NGO after observing so much poverty around me. My personal experiences were another reason."

The NGO has been conducting several awareness programmes, notebooks and bags donations in school, helping the destitute to get a shelter and providing them with first aid and food. They have been conducting 'annadanam' programmes to feed the poor thrice a week.

"We feed the needy and, till today, we have fed around 6 lakh meals to the needy across the city in the last three years. We have served food to more than a total of 400 people on a single day at three different places," said Uday.

He informed the services they render or the campaigns they carry out are posted on social media platform every day. There were more than one lakh followers who like their services and also donate to the foundation, he added. Uday was felicitated with many awards such as: NSS State award 2013-14; Youth Icon Award 2019; Rashtriya Gaurav Award; Best citizen award 2019 (National); and, Seva Samrat Award (State).

With no help from the government for funds, the team of Sri Rajamatha Foundation has been contributing money, clothes, foods and other items by raising funds themselves.