The closing ceremony of the SIUT Student Volunteer Program Summer Session 2009, BatchXVI and XVII was held at the SIUT Agha Hasan Abedi Auditorium. The ceremony, highlighted the distribution of the certificates to the volunteers. It was attended by the parents.
In this summer session, 253 students from different schools took part in this program. They were divided into two batches, each going through 30 hours of learning and community service spanned out in the period of one week.
To date, 1888 students have successfully completed their Voluntary Service Training in the field of voluntary services for the patients suffering from renal diseases. The main aim of the program is to encourage student volunteers to become responsible members of the community by providing them with an opportunity to help those unfortunate members of society who bear the dual burden of poverty and illness. The program accomplishes this by putting the volunteers through a carefully designed course which intends to instill in them values of compassion and respect for others as well as awakening their moral consciousness. This, in turn, inspires them to carry out their duties with the utmost devotion and sincerely.
The program began with an orientation and the students were informed of the activities that they would be involved in. They were divided into groups of 10 students. The students help create a friendly and comforting environment for patients while they are being treated or waiting in the OPD. Other than patient care activities, students attend lectures, demonstrations and seminars on various current medical and ethical issues.
The students have expressed that the program has changed their perspective on life. They now have a better understanding of people who are less fortunate than them – socially, economically and in health. The patients also look forward to the volunteer visits as these are probably the highlight of their otherwise disheartening day.
SIUT started its Student Volunteer Program in December 2006 and it reputation among teachers and parents as a well-planned and aptly supervised social service program. About the program, Dr. Adibul Hasan Rizvi, Director of SIUT, has said, “Through the program the students have been exposed to the SIUT motto i.e. we do not let them die because they cannot afford to live.”