When you’re a student dangling between exams, assignments and extracurriculars, doing community service isn’t easy. Since everyone seems to be trying to do similar things to “make a difference”, here’s a step-by-step guide to starting a volunteer project in one month.
Step 1: Get wildly ambitious
Delusion is the key. Imagine yourself in recognition ceremonies, collaborating with Chippa Sahab (without telling him, of course), and even picture yourself getting accepted into Harvard based on your exceptional community involvement.
Step 2: Make a team
Find people with similar delusions and declare yourself the leader. Decide on an aim. Plan (fantasise) the next few steps. Get ready for action.
Step 3 (exclusive—only for group leads): Get ghosted by your team
Divide the tasks among your group members and share in the group chat to watch half of them just disappear or be afflicted with the most tragic calamity known to mankind. For milder cases, a lot of drivers might decide to take a leave, and a lot of relatives might decide to be admitted to hospitals.
Step 4: Social media presence is essential.\
Make an Instagram page with an emotionally touching name. (Tip: Use Urdu or Arabic for added dramatic effect). Beg your relatives/friends to follow that page. Share the link in the WhatsApp group chat. Initiate a conversation with the relatives you have not talked to in years and inform them about the unlikeliness of your success without their support.
Step 5: Free publicity
Ask the entire population of your school or college to share your profile in their stories. Ask your “influencer” friends for a shoutout. Promise them a collab after your unique initiative breaks the internet.
Step 6: Realise logistics exist (and you’re broke)
Call an emergency group meeting. Panic-search quick and effective fundraising ideas. Give your family members the honour of being the first to donate. Donate the money to your local welfare centre or use it to buy supplies you can donate.
Congratulations! You just brought your volunteer project to life. Now it’s your duty to keep it alive, because making a difference for someone is worth it even if you aren’t able to become the next Greta Thunberg.