Dipchand Bihari, OP
Bhubaneswar: Kiran Verma, a Delhi-based youth, is currently on a mission in the capital city. He is walking on foot across the country to create awareness on the importance of blood donation.
Kiran, who aims to walk 15000 kilometers across the country, reached Bhubaneswar Thursday. Without wasting his time, soon after his arrival here, he started encouraging people to donate blood to the needy in their localities.
Thirty-three-year-old Kiran started his journey from Lal Chowk in Srinagar January 26 this year and has already covered nearly 8,000 kilometers on foot. He reached the capital city starting his journey from Bhopal.
Talking to Orissa POST, Verma shared the story behind his mission. He said, “It was in August 2017 when I received a random call from an area called Rampur in Uttar Pradesh asking me to donate blood to a needy. A few days after I gave my blood to the patient, his father called me time and again for more blood. Unfortunately, my phone was unreachable and the patient passed away for want of blood.”
“On that day, I decided to launch a campaign to make people aware about the significance of blood donation. I named this walk Change with one. I want to bring a change in the society so that people are always ready to help one another,” Kiran added.
So face, Kiran has traversed 19 states and Union Territories and he set to embark on his mission in others states. He has donated blood more than 40 times since the age of 18. His countrywide walk is scheduled to end in Delhi June 14 this year on the occasion of World Blood Donor Day.
Talking about his mission, Kiran said, “I try to encourage 10 people in every kilometer I walk and I will aim to share the noble idea of blood donation among 1.5 lakh people during my journey covering 15,000 km. I also share my views and the aim of my mission with the media and educational institutions in places I visit to ensure that that the message reaches maximum people.”
Kiran had a lucrative job as a marketing executive in Noida. However, he quit his job for his mission – promoting blood donation and saving lives.
He has also launched an app called Simply Blood to provide blood to needy free of cost. Speaking about the app, he said, “If anyone needs blood they can request through this app and the registered persons located close to the needing will be available for blood donation. About 40,000 people from 182 countries have registered on the app with the pledge to donate blood whenever neededs.”
He runs the app with his personal funds and claimed that they have saved over 2000 people in two years.
