Working for animal welfare with Blue Cross of Hyderabad

The Blue Cross is a creativity, activity, service (CAS) project initiated by Diploma Programme 1 students at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad to help animals in need. In collaboration with the Blue Cross of Hyderabad, the project began with research into the organisation as an entirety. Questions like: Why the institution was formed? What is the main aim of the institution? When did the organisation start? Why do we have to care about animal welfare? What are the current morals of the organisation? Who initiated the Blue Cross of Hyderabad? Why should we contribute to the welfare of animals? Read below to learn more about the students' involvement.

In the first orientation session, which was also called an investigation session, students had the opportunity to interview the head of the Blue Cross of Hyderabad. She gave them an introduction to the institution and also helped them find answers to their questions. The students had the opportunity to interact with volunteers who have been helping out at the organisation for a long time and it allowed them to further understand the workings of the organisation.

The organisation was first built and started in 1992 by Ms Amala Akkineni and Mr Nagarjuna Akkineni, who are two of the most famous film actors in the Tollywood industry. It aims to create a shelter for abused and unhealthy animals suffering on the streets and care for them. The organisation has now shifted their focus to animal birth control and anti-rabies vaccinations.

As students of the Academy in Hyderabad, the group decided to volunteer at the foundation and also raise funds for the organisation to contribute to animal welfare. They had multiple visits to the Blue Cross of Hyderabad which allowed them to learn more about the animals and why they need the foundation. They have grown to really admire the animals there and also love being a part of a greater achievement. They all identified their strengths and weaknesses, with some of the members of the group even overcoming their fear of dogs! Others built up the courage to learn more about the story of the dogs and other animals who have been abused.

Some of the students decided to keep volunteering even after the CAS project was done. During these visits, they learnt about animal birth control and the anti-rabies vaccination drives and why they are important for animals. During their visits, they kept themselves busy by participating in different activities such as grooming the dogs, taking them out for walks and helping the organisation during the adoption drive. These activities helped them understand how the volunteers take care of the animals and help them find new homes. Overall, through this project, the students had a great experience interacting with the organisation and getting to know about the animals in detail and the background they come from. They hope to see more volunteers who could help out organisations such as the Blue Cross of Hyderabad! 

The Blue Cross of Hyderabad is a registered non-profit organisation recognised by the Animal Welfare Board of India, and has been working for the welfare of animals since 1992. Our students regularly volunteer with the Blue Cross of Hyderabad as part of their CAS. The organisation recognised the contribution of the students at the Academy in Hyderabad for their work with special letters of appreciation.