When you start earning, there’s always a desire to give it back to society. However, at the beginning of the career, the savings are not enough. This keeps on delaying the thought of giving back. Meanwhile, a penny or two is donated to the needy people that you come across. You keep on making grand plans in which you can be helpful to society and the community you belong to. However, due to a lack of time, resources, and adequate money, the plans take a backseat on the journey of life.

The irony of life is that when we have energy (i.e. youth), we do not have enough money. And when we have sufficient cash (i.e. adulthood), we do not have enough time to spare. However, there are many ways we can give it back to society without worrying about time and money. My mom always tells me that one need not be rich enough to donate. You should be creative enough to be helpful to society. Here I discuss 4 easy ways that you can donate to the community that surrounds you – Angdaan, Shramdaan, Anndaan, and Gyaan daan.

Way #1
Angdaan
Angdaan refers to organ donation. Interestingly, a person is not bound by age or money for organ donation. Did you know that a person can donate as many as 25 different organs to people who need them? This can save up to nine lives. And saving lives is the biggest ever contribution one can make to society. Organ donation is the surgical procedure wherein a healthy organ is transplanted into a body by replacing the defective one.

There are two types of organ donation – living and deceased. In the former, a living person donates an organ to the patient. In the latter one, a person can express his desire to his loved ones for donating his organs when he’s no more. In such cases, doctors use the healthy organs of the deceased to save the lives of other people. An organ donor plays an important role in saving others’ life. It touches many lives, including the patient, his family, friends, and everyone associated.

Way #2
Voluntary Contribution
Known as Shram Daan in Hindi, voluntary contribution refers to the labour one does to help people in the community. It does not involve any kind of money, just effort. When a person works for the community and environment without any kind of expectation in return, it is considered to be a form of charity. Shramdaan can be carried out through different means.

For instance, one can nurse patients at a government hospital. Alternatively, one can teach deprived kids in the neighbourhood. Working for the environment by cleaning the beaches and streets is also a kind of voluntary contribution. Shramdaan is in effect, a donation of time and effort for the well-being of society. Many people are coming forward to help their communities on weekends.

Way #3
Gyaan Daan
There’s a saying which goes as knowledge shared is knowledge squared. When you share what you know, you learn something that you didn’t know. As we grow up, we acquire knowledge and information from our parents, schools, communities, and people around us. However, we forget to share this knowledge with people who are not able to acquire information through formal means. Donating Gyaan or knowledge, hence, is considered to be one of the great ways to give back to society. And interestingly, you do not need to shell out money for this donation.

There are several means that knowledge can be shared. Teaching, therefore, is one of the noblest professions in the world. A teacher is credited for creating a solid future for the present world. If you have not chosen a teaching profession, you can be a teacher for people in your community. Look for people who are hungry for knowledge, be it kids, adults, house helpers, the elderly, guards, etc. Alternatively, you can initiate a blog, a video channel, or any other contemporary means to educate people. Anyone and everyone who are willing to learn can be taught through one means or the other.

Way #4
Anndaan
Ann Daan in Hindi is referred to as a donation of food. It is a noble work to feed the hungry. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people helped their communities by cooking and serving food to those who were hungry and deprived. When a person is well-fed, he can contribute to society in a better way. Hunger becomes a barrier for many people, especially when it comes to education and good conduct.

Donating food is considered to be the fuel for the economic progress of society. Yes, you need a little money for this kind of donation. However, you need not feed hundreds and thousands of people. Instead, you can feed only one hungry person whenever you come across one. This is more than enough. My mother says that you need not be rich for donating food. You can feed half of your biscuit to hundred of souls just by feeding ants; just a handful of grains can feed a score of pigeons.

The Road Ahead
Society plays a very important role in grooming a person. You need to be grateful to the society that helped you become the person that you are today. Donation is one of the easiest means to give back to the society and community. Donation not only helps the person who received them but also the person who gave them. Next time, whenever you donate, check on yourself. You will feel a little lighter and much brighter than you usually are.