On August 11, 2023, the MOHAN Foundation was invited to conduct an awareness session on organ donation for the students pursuing livelihood training from the ICICI Academy for Skills, Karol Bagh, New Delhi. Ms. Isha Bajaj Sharma, Faculty Centre In-Charge, ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth, New Delhi, contacted Ms. Simran Anand, Programme Officer, MF, Delhi office, to organise the session for the ongoing morning and evening batches. The sessions were held for two groups of 52 and 50 female students between the ages of 18 and 30. This was the fourth session the MF Delhi office has conducted for the ICICI Academy for Skills, Karol Bagh, New Delhi branch. The earlier ones were conducted on November 9, 2022, February 27, 2023, and April 28, 2023. In the past, the MF Delhi office had also coordinated in organizing the sessions for ICICI Academy for Skills Kolkata (December 13, 2022) and Dehradun (January 24, 2023) branches.

 

Ms. Isha welcomed the MF faculty and introduced them to the students and the purpose of the talk. Ms. Simran took a short introductory round with the students and formed a rapport with them. She began the session by asking participants about their understanding of organ donation. Participants from both groups engaged in a highly interactive discussion about the topic.

 

The following topics were explained with the help of a PowerPoint presentation by MF Faculty.

 

• Organ donation and its need in society

• When and how does organ donation take place?

• Organs that can be donated during life and after death

• Transplant waiting list in India

• Brain death

• Differences between brain death and coma

• Role of the MOHAN Foundation

• Myths and facts about organ donation

• Eye donation

 

Participants of both batches shared their views on every topic discussed in the session, and many of them shared their families' experiences with organ donation.

 

Participants enthusiastically contributed to the discussion and asked many queries. To name a few:

• What is the difference between coma and brain death?

• Brain death versus circulatory death: what is the difference?

• Can brain also be donated?

 

Close to 102 students participated in the session.