Service at the Blue Cross - a personal account

Grade 11 student Nabil Patel shares his service experience at an animal shelter as part of his CAS portfolio. 

The Blue Cross of Hyderabad is one of grade 11's favourite CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) sites. On Saturday 2nd December, 18 students visited the animal shelter on their sixth service visit. The students were primarily focused on dogs and divided themselves into three teams. Team One assisted the Blue Cross administration with data management regarding various donations made to the NGO. Team two worked with blind, partially blind, and injured dogs. They walked the grown dogs and gave each animal personal attention and affection. This supports the dogs mentally and helps them recover from any type of mental or emotional trauma they might have faced. Team three seemed to be the most attached to their puppies. In no time, the students had made strong bonds with the puppies and even started naming them.

All the students were glad to be there; it wasn't just a curriculum requirement they were fulfilling. They enjoyed giving back to society in the smallest way possible. Some chose Blue Cross for their love for animals, specifically dogs, other chose it as their service site to overcome their fears. Most students also consider this as an opportunity to get away from their fast-paced and hectic IB life! When asked about how he  felt about his work at Blue Cross, Aryan Srivastava said, "dogs need to be treated with respect, respect that they deserve and as a student and an animal lover I believe that making sure they get that respect and care is a big responsibility." We need more people like Aryan in today’s world.

On the way back to the Academy, Ms Vasanthi initiated an insightful debrief session during the long bus ride. During this discussion, Tanish Panjwani spoke passionately about the importance of co-existence between humans and animals. The trip ended with wise words when Ms Vasanthi said, ‘We are the voice of the voiceless, and continuing to do so is vital.'

Written by Nabil Patel