As the country observed Teacher’s Day, it was time to celebrate a fundraiser held recently in Bengaluru. The money collected through the first-of-its-kind initiative in Whitefield will help renovation of Government Lower Primary School at Chikkanakundi in Anekal Taluk.
On August 24, Forum Neighbourhood Mall hosted InnQuizzitive 2019, a quiz for a cause organized by Inner Wheel Club of Bangalore IT Corridor (IWCBITC). As enthusiastic quizzers vied for the honours in the atrium on the ground floor, scores of visitors watched the spectacle from the sidelines.
On a Saturday filled with fun and brimming with questions, Mr Hrishikesh Varma of Nexus Consulting kept the contestants hooked. “The quizmaster took everyone for a ride from Danish Greenland to Tokyo Olympics, from ‘GOAT’ Federer to Higgs particle,” observed a spectator, while adding that the volley of questions, many of them cryptic, managed to exert the grey cells of even the geeks.
The beneficiary school – Government Lower Primary School at Chikkanakundi in Anekal Taluk. Pic: Shubha Nagarajan
The response was overwhelming: around 150 participants across 37 teams in the ‘adult’ category and 14 in the ‘youth’ category. Each youngster paid Rs 300 while each adult contributed Rs 400.
Following a written round, eight teams in each category qualified for the finals. While the winners among the youth were Adi Amartya Shankar, Viraj Shankar and Adhithya Sudarsan, the grown-ups who topped the charts included Syed Sajid Mustafa, Rohit and Jaydeep. With 12 teams, DNR Atmosphere walked away with the trophy for maximum participation from a community.
Enthusiastic participation in the quiz by everyone. Pic: IWCBITC
As depicted in a video screened on the occasion, the building housing the 27-year-old school with 50 students is in a dilapidated condition. The children, who were accompanied by their parents to the venue, were delighted to see the inside of a big mall. The event rekindled their hope that they would finally get a ‘Happy School’ with basic facilities.
“We deliberately identified a school in a remote village around our urban neighbourhood,” said Ms Shubha Nagarajan, President, IWCBITC. “We found this school about 12 km from the IT hub in a decrepit state with no running water or sanitation, and no playground. We decided to renovate it and make it a ‘happy school’ for those children. But the cost of refurbishing the entire school worried us. That’s when we decided on a fundraiser,” she explained.
“The idea of conducting a community quiz took root in my head,” said Ms Sarala Menon, secretary, IWCBITC. “I thought it was a good idea to get communities bond with each other at two levels: camaraderie and competition. The cause being charity, adults and children were equally moved and motivated to contribute towards the rejuvenation of a school in dire straits,” she added.
Children from the beneficiary school watching the quiz. Pic: IWCBITC
The contest managed to raise a significant amount, with additional contribution pouring in from people across the city. “We are in a comfortable position to start the renovation work. We have also spoken to a builder whose company is willing to help us with the restoration work,” responded an organizer when asked about the next steps.
While applauding the effort, Whitefield Rising reiterated its support to similar events in the future. “It was a pleasure to be a community partner for this noble initiative,” the citizens’ group mentioned in a note. “Our goal is to help transform our area with citizens actively participating in the change we want to see around us and leave our children with a better place overall.”