HIMANSHU GURU, OP
“Helping the poor and the needy is real worship”. With steadfast faith in this dictum a group based in Bhubaneswar has stepped forward to help the poor and needy. Named MYRA, the group has so far provided food, umbrellas and clothes to the needy mainly at orphanages to underprivileged children. Importantly, the organisation has not sought any governmental or foreign financial aid; rather contribution of its members is the only and main revenue generation medium.
MYRA came into being in 2016. “On January 18, 2016, me, my wife and daughter Aslesha donated Rs 500 each and generated the first ever fund of MYRA. Earlier, I was in a different WhatsApp group and was sometimes contributing for social work but decided to systematically operate a group. I named the group and conveyed the idea to some of my close friends. Accordingly, an old friend of Delhi sent another Rs 500. It was encouraging for me and I decided to move forward,” said Ranjan Patel of Bomikhal. MYRA is Patel’s brainchild.
“Later, during the silver jubilee celebrations of our college in Sundergarh I suggested my friends to go for social work. All were in party mood and had never expected such a proposal to come from me. Anyway, we visited the Adruta Children Home, an orphanage on the outskirts of Sundergarh, where we observed that the inmates were wasting food because they didn’t have a fridge. I immediately rushed to the market and bought a fridge for the orphanage that cost Rs 17,500. I spent the money from my own pocket but later my friends gave me Rs 7000,” Ranjan narrated about the first initiative.
“Food is a basic need and so our group basically works to provide food to the needy. Accordingly, we provide free food materials to individuals as well as organisations. Often it becomes tough to adjust our daily busy schedules and to rush to the service of the people. So, now we visit the orphanages and provide them food. In the coming days, if the group grows, we will think about starting our own orphanage,” said Jyotirmoy Mishra from Bhubaneswar, secretary of MYRA.
“I was keen on social work since long and used to donate some amount during natural calamities. Later, during the silver jubilee function of our college in Sundergarh I got associated with the group,” he added.
Ipsita Patel, a homemaker and MYRA group member, said: “I am from Kuchinda in Sambalpur district, but living in Korba for my hubby’s job for the last two years. Ranjan Patel is a relative of me and when he initiated the noble work, I immediately get associated with it. Even my hubby is a member of the group. Today I only provide financial assistance. However, I am longing for an opportunity to practically present myself on an occasion to distribute food to the unprivileged. Every small deeds can bring big changes.”
“Since its inception, volunteers of MYRA are engaged in providing support to the needy in Orissa. I am proud to be a part of this group,” said Abani Ranjan Samal. Samal is based in the US.
“MYRA is an organisation no less than our home. We are here for the poor and the needy. We provide poor people food, medicine, clean water, clothes, umbrellas, study materials and, of course, love and care. Our goal is to serve unconditionally, express love and compassion to the poor and needy. We aim to help millions of such needy people. We also want to make sure that our help genuinely reaches the needy. MYRA finds out the poorest of the poor and helpless and helps them as per their needs with n effort to bring a smile on their faces,” said Chinmayee Patel, another member of the organisation.
Since April 2017 MYRA’s members are regularly organising charity programmes on Sundays. They spend approximately three to four thousand rupees every Sunday for social work. Arun Mishra, another member of the group, said: “On the occasion of White Cane day we provided food to around 250 people (mainly blind people) who had come from different parts of the state to observe the day.”
The group has so far been involved in a number of charitable activities. On September 2017 it donated bathing soaps, coconut oil, face cream, toothpaste, and talcum powder along with 13 pairs of dresses to blind people of Sai Charity at Tamando in Bhubaneswar. On 14 September the group donated a table fan, 25kg rice and cereals to a blind couple, Aswini and Pushpa of Satyanagar. On 10 September the group provided lunch to 20 children of a child care institution, Sri Sarada Niketan, Uttara Chhaka, Bhubaneswar. On 10 September MYRA provided breakfast to inmates of Sai Charity Foundation at Tamando. It also donated groceries such as rice (50kg), dal (5kg), sugar, mustard oil, suji and chuda. Besides, the group has also provided charity at Adruta Children Home (Girl’s) in Bhubaneswar and 25 needy children in Kansa Village in Jajpur district and in India Charity Foundation at Lingipur near Sisupalgarh in Bhubaneswar.
