MOHAN Foundation has launched a unique program called "Angels of Change" in which selected student volunteers from schools and colleges are taken through a customised training module to enable them to undertake awareness initiatives on organ donation amongst various audiences. The objective of this program is to engage the student volunteers-duly sensitised and trained as agents of change and be effective in changing the mindset of people towards a complex issue like organ donation.
Last year, MOHAN Foundation (Delhi-NCR) undertook a pilot project with Tagore International School, New Delhi to create student volunteers for organ donation. A group of 25 students from grades 9 - 11 were shortlisted to be a part of this training. This year nine volunteers enrolled for the training - six students from Institute of Management Studies (Noida) one graduate volunteer out of self-interest to promote the cause and a self-driven and a motivated couple to spread the message of organ donation.
On August 14, 2015, the first session for the batch was organised in the foundation's office in Gurgaon. Ms. Pallavi Kumar (Executive Director, MOHAN Foundation, Delhi-NCR) requested the participants to introduce themselves and asked them to share their reasons for undertaking the training as part of group orientation After the round of introductions the group were given a survey form to be filled up to gauge their pre training level of awareness following which they were told to fill up their registration forms.
The students of Institute of Management Studies, Noida ( Aman, Aastha, Amit, Archita, Esha and Harshit) have formed an NGO named "Organation" to promote awareness on organ donation and want to make sure that through this training, they have sound knowledge on the subject and are able to give the right information to the general public. Rahul who has recently graduated in English literature feels strongly for this cause as he lost his father due to kidney failure many years ago. His father could not get timely help due to unavailability of donor. Rahul now wants to work towards creating awareness on the issue.
Mr. N K Aggarwal and his wife are keen to be a part of this movement as Mr Aggarwal himself is a liver transplant recipient and understands the significance of generating more organs in the country as he got a liver from a deceased donor after a long tormenting wait.
Dr. Muneet Sahi (Programme Manager, MOHAN Foundation, Delhi-NCR) conducted the talk that focussed on basics of organ donation, brain death, myths related to donation and THOA. A short film on brain death was also shown when the concept of brain death was being addressed.
Session concluded with Pallavi requesting the group to go through the material that would be sent to them on mail and come prepared with queries to be addressed in the next session on August 22, 2015 by experts in the field.