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| Sangili Karuppanan Gnanavadivel won a 2012 TI Founders Community Service Award for his efforts to organize blood donation camps to serve the poor and needy in India. |
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When TI employee Sangili Karuppanan Gnanavadivel organized a blood donation camp for the first time as a college student in the mid 1990s, the noble deed of donating blood to the poor and needy dawned on him.
Having gained this experience, he then led the effort when TI India organized the first-ever blood donation camp in August 1997 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of India's Independence.
Since this time, Gnanavadivel has been organizing two camps a year at TI in association with Rotary-TTK Blood Bank, which is run by Bangalore Medical Services Trust (BMST) in association with Rotary International. The blood bank distributes the life-saving donations free of charge to government-run hospitals and the needy people in Bangalore.
"We conduct the camps in May and December when the need for blood is high," said Gnanavadivel, a principal layout engineer.
"Our first camp in 1997 had just 30 donors. Today, this number has gone up to around 200."
Creating awareness
Gnanavadivel receives calls from TI employees and their friends when there is an urgent need for blood. He responds quickly by mobilizing his blood group colleagues and facilitating the donation. He also provides answers to questions frequently asked by colleagues about the various aspects of blood donation.
What special skills or experience have you acquired through volunteering?
"Volunteering has helped me improve my communication skills. It has given me the confidence to face challenges and approach them with a cool mind. Volunteering has also taught me the importance of meticulous planning and flawless execution."
What does winning this award mean to you?
"I dedicate this award to all the TIers who have supported me over the years. The award is bound to create more awareness that will, in turn, lead to more donors in the future. I can't ask for more!"
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"This is a service to society that gives me immense satisfaction," Gnanavadivel said.
"A healthy individual can safely donate blood three times a year from the age of 18 to 45. Donating blood enhances the production of new red blood cells, burns calories and helps in fighting hemochromitosis - a genetic disorder wherein iron accumulates in the body tissue because of improper iron metabolism."
According to Swaminathan Ramachandran, technical lead at TI India and the person who nominated Gnanavadivel for the TI Founders Community Service Award, Gnanavadivel has been literally saving hundreds of lives every year through his initiative.
"The camps have helped in no small measure to spread awareness about blood donation among TI employees and their families and friends," Ramachandran said.
"They have also generated goodwill among the medical fraternity around Bangalore."
While there is no doubt that the success of the blood donation camps is due largely to his untiring efforts, Gnanavadivel attributes all of the credit to his TI colleagues, along with support from the company and the TI India Foundation.
"I will continue the blood drives for as long as I can," Gnanavadivel said.
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