A Slightly Unusual Beginning
Some children dream of becoming cricketers. Some want to become film stars. Many simply want summer holidays to continue forever. I, meanwhile, was in 8th standard thinking about society. Even at that age, I found myself noticing things children are not usually expected to notice.
I saw that some people had opportunities while others struggled for basic dignity. I saw intelligence hidden in places where support never reached. I saw effort that went unnoticed and pain that went unheard That was also the age when I first wanted to become an IAS officer. Not for power, not for prestige, and certainly not for the famous chair that seems to hypnotize half the country.
The College Visit That Changed My Thinking
The real turning point arrived when I was in 11th standard. An NGO visited our college collecting donations for an old age home. For most students, it was a brief interruption between classes. For me, it became a seed.
Until then, service belonged to the future in my imagination. I would do it later, after studies, after career, after becoming “settled,” that mysterious stage of life everyone talks about as if it were a railway station.
That day I understood something simple and powerful. Helping others does not need permission from the calendar. You do not need authority. You do not need status. You do not need to wait until life becomes perfect. You only need willingness.
Hometown: Where Purpose Became Real
Later, during my 12th standard days, I moved back to my hometown. That shift changed everything. When I look back now, I cannot help smiling. A group of teenagers trying to build something meaningful with no money, no mentors, no systems, and no backup plan. In modern language, we were a startup with zero investors and unlimited optimism.
We organized blood donation camps, health camps, cleaning drives, scholarship support, food distribution, and awareness programs. There were no cameras following us, no sponsorship banners behind us, and no dramatic music playing in the background. There was only effort. Many probably assumed it was a phase. Fair enough. Society has seen many beginnings and many disappearances. But for me, it did not feel like hobby. It felt like identity
The Birthday Where Cake Lost
emergency call asking for blood donation. Normally birthdays involve cake, awkward photographs, and at least one relative asking future plans while you are still chewing. Instead, I went to donate blood. That blood was used for a one-year-old child. Later, the parents told me, “Devudila vachavu swamy” — you came like God and saved my child.
I still remember feeling humbled and emotional at once. I knew I was no hero. I was simply available. But life often works through such moments. What feels small from your side becomes unforgettable from someone else’s side. After that day, birthdays felt less like celebration and more like gratitude. Till a few days ago, I had donated blood 22 times. If something within us can help another life continue, it should never be wasted.
Bengaluru: Engineering Degree, Seva Side Quest
Later, I moved to Bengaluru for engineering. Like every student arriving in a new city, I experienced freedom, excitement, homesickness, budget stress Then volunteering found me again. in 2017, I found Youth for Seva. That became more than an organization. It became family.
Youth for Seva: My Sundays Were Seized.
My Sundays were no longer mine. If I wore shoes early in the morning, people at home knew some seva activity had already kidnapped me. I became part of career guidance sessions, school kit drives, rural outreach, volunteer coordination, education support, Seva Dina programs, and whatever else needed hands and heart. One initiative I especially loved was Give Paper Back, where used notebooks with blank pages were converted into usable books for students. Only in volunteering can a person proudly carry old notebooks and feel accomplished.
One of my most meaningful memories came from NMMS classes I took in 2018 at Veerbhadra Nagar School. Among the students was one mischievous boy — the type that every classroom remembers instantly. Years later, he recognized me unexpectedly and came forward with gratitude. He told me that because of those classes and encouragement, he had chosen engineering, been selected through campus placement, and that his life had changed direction. I stood there smiling like a proud teacher who technically did not work there. That day reminded me that when we volunteer, we often plant seeds and walk away. Years later, life shows us the tree.
The Change I Want to See
If someone asks me what change I truly wish to see in society, my answer is not complicated. I want to see more responsibility in ordinary people. Not everyone needs to become famous. Not everyone needs to become wealthy. Not everyone needs to become an activist online or a speaker on stage. But every person can become responsible in daily life.
We often underestimate the power of small acts because they do not look dramatic. But societies are not built only by governments and leaders. They are built every day by ordinary people doing responsible things consistently. None of us alone can transform the whole world. I am not unrealistic about that. But when enough people join hands with sincerity, discipline, and compassion, the world around them certainly changes. Maybe that sounds revolutionary. The funny truth is that I actually prefer talking less and doing more
Sharing my story may not change the world overnight. But if it plants one idea in someone’s mind, if it lights one spark in one heart, that is enough. Many meaningful journeys begin exactly like that.
I still have much to learn. Much to improve. Much to give. But one thing is certain. Did I stop? No. Will I stop? Also no.
This will remain the motto of my life: लोकााः समस्ााः सुखिनो भवन्तु May all beings, in all worlds, be happy.
Pramod Kumar
Volunteer Youth for Seva – Bengaluru