Empathy. Giving. Community Service. These form VT Seva’s triumvirate set of values that represent VT Seva’s mission and intent. It is these values that underpin our every effort and outreach. These very values are the cornerstone of every activity, event and program for VT Seva. It is all about service. And this commitment to service is fueled by something so pure, uplifting and motivating - inspiration. The inspiration to serve. And to make a difference.
VT Seva’s youth and volunteers are incessantly motivated and inspired to bring their best, to make a difference in people’s lives and to serve our community. This is what brings out the best in each and every one of us. But how do we stay inspired? How do we ensure that our volunteers are constantly reinvigorated every morning to continue giving back to the community? With Tarangini, our annual cultural event, our volunteers and youth get to explore and learn about different parts of VT Seva and their importance. This event blends in all the different themes and values our organization stands for.
VT Seva Dallas’s 13th Tarangini was held on March 20th, 2022. Our motto for Tarangini is “One act of kindness can cause a ripple effect.” Tarangini was led by a group of young and passionate emcees, including Arnav Senapathi, Shreyas Vishwanathan, Ronav Aviur, Rujutha Thakurdesai, Utham Koduri, Shriya Senapathi, and Ananya Ganni. The team’s goals for this year include the education of 200 underprivileged students from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India, to sponsor accessible equipment and training for 100 visually challenged students pursuing higher education in New Delhi, India, and to support the Anganwadi Center infrastructure in Narayanpet, Telangana.
This year, our 13th Tarangini, we had multiple motivational skits and drama, irenic songs, speeches from accomplished and inspirational speakers as well as dances that traversed through India, all performed by our young volunteers. We had speeches from accomplished and inspirational speakers with Mr Kanthi Rana Tata, the Commissioner of Police(Vijayawada, AP, India) as the Chief Guest, Mrs Harichandana Dasari, the IAS Collector(Narayanpet, Telangana, India) as the Keynote Speaker and Mr David Schilson, the Chief of Police(Frisco, Texas, USA). All three of them appreciated VT Seva youth for the services rendered to the community and encouraged us with the new opportunities to expand our services with commitment.
Although Tarangini this year was a virtual event, it was a resounding success, with participation from over one hundred and twenty families watching the entire event. Here are the program events:
- Welcome song by youth board member
- Peace Prayer by PRAJNA students
- Indian and American National Anthems
- International Cricket skit with drama, music, and dance to understand the challenges of the visually challenged
- Music Without Barriers: Singing performance from students of Mr Parameswara Rao(visually challenged), a Nethra alumni supported by VT Seva
- Unity in Diversity depicted by a dance program with theme from every region of India
- Singing performance of Heal the World by youth members
- Inspirational speeches by eminent community leaders who are engaged in services
- Kashish performance
Tarangini is as great a showcase of arts and talent within the community as it is a platform to learn about VT Seva, its causes and the positive impact it has on communities. VT Seva Dallas branch director Mr Uttam Indukuri talked about the service activities and events we conduct throughout the year and encouraged one and all to participate in them, and expressed gratitude to our donors and volunteers for their generous support. He also listed the accomplishments of Tarangini 2021, which included the education of 500 underprivileged students for 1 year from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India, the sponsoring of 8 lakhs INR as the appreciation prize money for the T20 National Cricket tournament champions for the visually challenged in Andhra Pradesh, India, and the sponsoring of research and development of accessible equipment at the University of Texas, Arlington, USA.
Mr Uttam also appreciated the leadership of Ms Amita Aviur, VT Seva Dallas Youth Director for forming the youth team and leading them with great commitment. Her dedication is motivating the youth to come forward and become leaders. He also thanked VT Seva National Youth Director Mr Phani Aduri for starting multiple initiatives such as the Digitization of Books for the visually challenged to empower youth with the value of volunteering.
Tarangini 2022 was a resounding success, with over a hundred attendees, and we consider ourselves fortunate to have gotten an opportunity to contribute to its success. We, the Youth of VT Seva, deem it an honor to be part of this organization and be a cog in the wheel of VT Seva’s progress towards achieving its service goals.
As Robert Collier put it - “Success is the sum of small efforts — repeated day in and day out.”
दर्लु भर्ल ान्यपि कार्या णि सि द्यन्ति प्रोद्यमेन हि । शि लापि तनतु ांयाति प्रपातने ार्णसर्ण ो महुुः॥
“Even the Impossible things can be accomplished with consistent efforts. Like a hard rock gets thinner with repeated fall of water.”
Most importantly, this event gave the youth the opportunity to take leadership roles and be emcees. Being an emcee meant learning in detail about VT Seva and its principles and showing both your love and knowledge for the organization and volunteering on the day of the event. I was an emcee myself, and I have to say that it was an absolutely wonderful experience for me. I learned about many parts of VT Seva that I didn't know about and about multiple experiences that the other emcees encountered through VT Seva, and the profound impact that it had on them.
--- Tarangini Cultural Melang by Ronav Aviur
Link to full Tarangini 2022 photos: https://www.facebook.com/VTSevaDallas/posts/1046478372604552
