Seva @ Bangalore

A couple of months back a group of Oriyas, working in Bangalore, had been to Nandi hills for an outing. For an outsider, it may seem as just another picnic where a bunch of guys go out and have fun, but it was much more than that. It was about the belongingness that we have for our motherland; it was about the love we have for our fellow-beings. During the picnic, we had a nice discussion on the issues related to Orissa and the possible solutions. Many of us were quite excited at the prospect of being able to help Orissa in someway or the other. The picnic had a definite conclusion: we, at Bangalore, need to do something for the betterment of Orissa. In that regard, the picnic was a huge success in bringing a lot of like minded people together. On our way back, a strange feeling was doing rounds. “Was it the beginning or the end?” It happens in a lot of endeavors that after the initial success, the enthusiasm level drops and the mission dies. It was unacceptable to us. Within one week, we had a concrete plan. A lot of young Oriyas, after completing B.E./B.Tech./MCA come to Bangalore to seek for jobs. With growing number of graduates turning to Bangalore, these people are subjected to fierce competition. We thought, we could help them with the years of experience we have in IT field. The concept was to start a discussion forum, where they can discuss about the technical challenges they are facing and we can share our experience with them. The idea was to sharpen their technical abilities as well as boosting up their confidence. The support from Global Oriya community www.globaloriya.com gave enormous momentum to the movement. The response to this project was overwhelming, both from freshers as well as the would-be-mentors. We planned to meet on a weekly basis and had the inauguration ceremony on October 1, Sunday at Visweswaraiya College on the Airport road. After a couple of weeks, we moved to a nearby primary school. Since the day of the start, where we had only one forum to discuss about C/C++, we have grown to 3 forums with additions for Java and Testing. The topics for discussion are decided beforehand and the mentors come prepared with a range of tricky concepts. The sessions are so refreshing that you would definitely learn something at the end of it, no matter what you are - a fresher or a seasoned pro. The joy of being there can’t be put in words; it feels like a job accomplished, like you did something for the society. A sense of satisfaction that comes when you see them smile cannot be described, it can only be experienced. Visit the place once and you would experience the same feeling which prompted me to write this article. See you there someday.