Socially Useful Productive Work or SUPW

Actually I got time to urge my lazy couch potato self to write something today....

Now almost 15 yrs after leaving high school, I'm amazed to see how the humble beginnings of the SUPW class have changed my life. Socially Useful Productive Work or SUPW...was something I hated when I was in school especially when I had to cut the grass in the school field. But then I felt extremely proud when we used to collect horde of old but clean clothes, medicines, school stationary, and food grains for the less privileged ones. I always thought cutting the grass was to the school gardener’s job, not acknowledging the fact that we were helping him too by mowing the lawn. We used to have some awesome time sorting the clothes and medicines. I must say there were few students who used to bring expired medicines. I remember some sisters used to cook kichdi and curry and other goodies and we used to feed the hindi medium primary school kids

I feel more socially responsible. I drive a eco friendly car that releases the least amount of CO2 and thus helps in cutting down the green house emissions, and I get my groceries from a shop that sells veggies that are grown organically. I also do not hesitate to donate during natural calamities…So much so that me and my wife pack clothes from US and send them to India to my in-laws who then distribute them in the remote villages, when urbanization has still time to reach. Credit has to go my mother in law and my wife for that.

SUPW brings about sustainability when executed in a structured manner. Any help to the needy will develop that section of the society. Another incident that is vibrant in my memory is the occasion when we went to a village near Bogapani. The kids from the village were more than ecstatic to see a bus load of people with a doctor, clothes and medicines. We had setup a small medical camp and distributed the clothes to the needy there.

Now I feel very much elated when topics about helping the underprivileged come during our lunch time discussions in office. I often jump up and start narrating the stories from my childhood that I fondly remember. I am sometimes so inclined towards sustainability that I want my wife to study sustainability management.