In a bid to go green and encourage the use of plastic alternatives, VIBGYOR Group of Schools' students from across India are donating old saris and dupattas to make eco-friendly bags. This initiative is a part of VIBGYOR’s year-long campaign #StrikeOffPlastic, which aims to reduce the use of plastic that was launched last month.
As a part of the programme, all 13 VIBGYOR schools in Bengaluru have collected 2158 old saris and dupattas, which will be sent to the HSE (Hello Save Earth) Foundation in Bengaluru. HSE Foundation has a team of rural women who will be stitching eco-friendly handcrafted bags from these saris and dupattas. The bags will be put on sale by VIBGYOR students and the money raised by selling the bags will be used for a charitable cause.
'To nurture responsible young citizens'
Geetha Mylvarabhatla, Cluster Principal, VIBGYOR Group of Schools – Bengaluru, said that the #StrikeOffPlastic campaign aims at sensitising the students about the various environmental concerns that have been cropping up in recent times, which not only may lead to a depletion of natural resources, but also threatens the future of the planet. "The objective behind “#StrikeOffPlastic” campaign is to educate and nurture the responsible future citizens of the world. Students will be raising funds by selling the bags for a charitable cause and we are glad that VIBGYOR students are whole-heartedly participating in the ongoing programme," she added.
While the idea of donating saris to make bags was given by an NGO, it actually took shape at VIBGYOR High at Kadugodi, Bengaluru. The principal, staff and students took it up earnestly and collected around 950 saris. Some of the bags made will also be donated to government school children from rural areas.
So how will the students benefit from this activity? "Students are benefitted immensely. First and foremost, the emotional quotient is immeasurable. This will provide a good foundation for them to be compassionate and believe in selfless help," Geetha avers.
This is not the first time that VIBGYOR Group of Schools has engaged in social initiatives that benefit the needy. "In the past, our students have been involved in activities like beach cleaning, lake-cleaning, donating books and other stationery to needy children, etc. The list can go on as every school takes up 4 to 5 projects every year amounting to 150 projects a year," she informs.