Indian Colleges celebrate the Joy of Giving with Joyfest

Joyfest is the largest youth activation programme involving about 250 colleges. 150 have already registered, which include the IITs, IIMs and the NITs, DSE, St Stephens, Delhi University Law Faculty, Loyola College Chennai, IIM Kolkata, the best of the Indian colleges and more than 1 million students will participate in Joyfest.

Actors Deepal Shaw and Raghu Ram will be inaugurating the Joyfest, the biggest youth event across the country. It has already been inaugurated in Mumbai amidst much fervor. Similar launches will happen in Delhi and Pune.

In an attempt to sensitize the youth towards the under-privileged, JOYFEST, a part of the Joy of Giving Week, and the University of Mumbai has joined hands to encourage the students of city based colleges to help the needy. ‘Joy of Giving Week’ is an initiative of NGOs, youth organizations working towards the empowerment of the under-privileged section of the society.

Beginning September 26 to October 2, 2010 the week-long festival will observe participation of 500 colleges from across the country, amongst which 150 are from Mumbai alone.

The cause of Joyfest has not only received support from various city based NGOs’ but also the personalities from the entertainment industry. Actors Deepal Shaw, Nandita Das, and Raghu Ram of MTV fame are delighted to support the cause. Raghu who is starring in his forthcoming youth film, Jhootha hi Sahi, strongly supported the idea of students giving time to the underprivileged at this stage in their lives when they had the time to give. Sponsors Mars International India, the makers of Snickers have an unique proposition lined up for the blood donors, informed Nitin Kulkarni, Corporate Affairs, MARS India.

Joyfest aspires to reach out to 250 more number of renowned institutions across the country including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Delhi. Times of India HT, DNA Indian express, Maharashtra Times have already given editorial support. Fever 104, is providing support on radio. Actor Nandita Das have pledged her support for the initiative for Joyfest. It offers the chance to use the power of collective individual action to make a difference.

Activities to be conducted under JOYFEST
• Invite underprivileged to your college, be with them for a day, give them kindness and respect.
• Blood donation Drive.
• Note Books Stationery collection drive
• Engineers volunteer for vocational training
• Clothes collection
• Bicycle donation