Meghna Ghai Puri, President of Whistling Woods International in an interview with our team shared the Institute’s association with Organ India.
WWI, Asia’s premier Film, Communication & Creative Arts Institute is known not only for its qualitative education with an emphasis on practical knowledge but also for its social initiatives to drive positive change. WWI has been endeavouring various social initiatives such as campaigns for underprivileged women and children, cleanliness drives, blood donation, awareness against drugs etc. One of their commendable associations is with Organ India, an NGO based in Delhi that works towards creating awareness about organ donation. This conversation gave an exposure to their ideologies and insights behind such initiatives.
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Please share insights on Whistling Woods International’s Association with Organ India.
Whistling Woods International has been committed to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) identified by the United Nations envisioned towards 2030. One of such goals is medical facilities and the well-being of everyone. In India, the concept of organ donation is at a nascent stage owing to numerous myths associated with the noble cause. It may take a long way to break the stereotypical perspectives about donating or receiving an organ. Thus, the initiatives taken by Organ India, an NGO based in Delhi, towards raising awareness about this cause is quite splendid and as an Institute, we have been associated with them for many years. Recently, they were designated as the official NGO organisation to represent the World Transplant Games and the India team. And our collaborative initiative to represent Team India at the World Transplant Games is an icebreaker in this realm, towards this cause.
Please share more details on the song, sung and composed by Raag Suri, a student of Whistling Woods School Of Music - that has been selected as India’s Anthem in the World Transplant Games
Being the President of WWI, and a trustee of Organ India, I have been looking forward to making a suitable contribution towards this cause and the World Transplant Games, as an Institute. We are thrilled that after 9 months of brainstorming and rigorous teamwork by the students and various lyricists, we were able to compose the anthem for Team India, titled Hissa Bann. Most importantly, we are very grateful to the lyricists who contributed to the whole process, especially, Shelly Singh and Mayur Puri who worked with our students and mentored them. The song was composed and sung by our student, Raag Suri along with a team of other WWI School of Music students. The song abides by its purpose in every sense, evoking inspiration while encouraging everyone to do more for this cause.
Throw some light on the contribution of Whistling Woods International’s association with Organ India in reaching out to the World Transplant Games.
The World Transplant Games is a unique initiative, which is similar to the Olympics where people compete for medals across multiple sports. However, the difference here is that all the participants and athletes are either organ recipients or donors. This in itself beholds a strong message for the entire world that despite an individual being organ donor or recipient can lead a fit and healthy life to such an extent that they can even play any sport in a competitive arena.
I am extremely proud that, at the World Transplant Games that is happening in Perth, Australia, Team India is doing incredibly well and winning gold and silver medals in all sports. Moreover, the youngest athlete is from India and that's a significant achievement.
Owing to our long-standing association with Organ India, I’m incredibly proud that as an Institute we could associate with the World Transplant Games by not just creating an anthem for Team India, but by supporting the NGO to create awareness about the noble cause through the medium of music.
What are the future plans for WWI with regards to such associations?
WWI is committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among the 17 SDGs, we have endeavoured plenty of initiatives in terms of plastic recycling & repurposing, waste management on campus, and several others. We ensure that the students accomplish these SDGs by striving towards them. We have had multiple occasions of students opting for beach clean-ups, government school visits for imparting knowledge, and providing for underprivileged children. The students have been extremely proactive with such social initiatives, and we are proud of them. I believe as responsible citizens of the world, to have a safer planet in the future, we all have to commit to these goals. While we don’t boast about it, but we take a lot of pride in contributing towards the betterment of the society and Mother Nature.
What are your views on organ donation and how can an educational institute play a role in creating awareness?
Education and moral values are impertinent to seed any thought process. We should normalise knowledge about Organ Donation from a young age as to studying any other subject at school. Children should be made aware that once we depart from this life, our body will be futile and it's quite optimal to put it to good use. If we sign up as organ donors, we could save up to seven lives by just donating our organs. I deem this as a noble cause and it is practical to take up this initiative, while one is alive.
Throughout the life, an individual opts for a lot of good things through charity and can keep his legacy alive by donating their organs to those in need. I believe, education plays a very pivotal role in instilling this notion in children. If given the right education, they won’t buy into myths spurred by the society. Thus, education plays a huge role in bringing such initiatives and causes to the forefront.
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