In view of the very low turn-out for volunteer activities, we have implemented a completely new strategy for making community service an integral part of the scholarship programme at FURTHER. This has become imperative because, as a society, we continue to face greater challenges of hygiene, literacy, and poverty with each passing day. If anything, we are declining as a polity and as a nation and this rot cannot be stemmed except by helping ourselves. Consequently, scholarship award renewal will depend greatly on the recipient’s ability and willingness to help others. Each September, FURTHER will post a merit list of all existing award recipients based on academic performance (25% weight) and quality of community service efforts during the previous 12 months (75% weight). The top 5 to 10 candidates on the merit list shall be eligible for renewal of award while the remaining positions shall be made available to new applicants each year.
All current recipients are therefore encouraged to become more active in organising community service efforts either individually or collectively. Various ideas were put forth regarding the kinds of activities that can be organised. NUST students made the commendable suggestion of collecting surplus food from hostels or restaurants and distributing it in deprived communities. While this would be an enormous service to humanity, it is also something logistically difficult. Other ideas included clean-up efforts in various parts of the city, helping public dispansaries, hospitals, or welfare centres in carrying out their duties, and lending a hand to orphanages or homes for the elderly or terminally ill. Even helping the traffic police manage the roads more politely and efficiently would be a huge service to society.
Please implement some of these ideas, whether individually or collectively, for the good of your society and for your own good.
