Udupi: What can Rs 150 a month achieve? For members of Artha, a volunteer-driven collective of professionals, it is enough to bring meaningful change to govt schools and improve the lives of students. By contributing what they call the equivalent of a day’s snack expense every month, hundreds of volunteers are supporting social service initiatives across Karnataka.Founded in 2017 with just eight members, Artha has grown into a network of nearly 450 volunteers spread across Bengaluru, Udupi-Manipal, Shivamogga and Mysuru. The group comprises IT professionals, professors, doctors, engineers, police personnel and other like-minded individuals committed to community service.Manjunath HN Gowda, an IT professional based in Bengaluru and one of the group’s key members, said that the initiative began with visits to orphanages and assistance to needy institutions .“We do not provide cash assistance. Instead, we supply essentials such as groceries, bedsheets and other materials to institutions that require support,” he said.The group’s focus later expanded to govt schools after Manjunath came across a woman who was unable to afford private school education for her child, while the nearby govt school lacked basic facilities. “That experience prompted us to start supporting govt schools. We began by providing laptops and educational resources. Today, we distribute around 2,000 notebooks annually to students in 12 schools,” Manjunath said.The group’s latest project was the beautification of Karnataka Public School (KPS), Hosmar, in Karkala. Through a colleague of one of its members, the volunteers learnt about the school’s need for beautification. After conducting a preliminary assessment, they decided to repaint and beautify the campus. Around 55 volunteers participated in the drive held during the last weekend, transforming the school’s appearance. Several PhD scholars in Manipal are also part of group.Over the past seven years, Artha has completed beautification projects at eight govt schools. The volunteers are also involved in activities like cleaning gaushalas, blood donation drives and animal rescue efforts.
