Good samaritan: Nestin Vas' 'Little More Love' bringing volunteers together for various causes

BENGALURU: Christmas of 2011 was the lowest point of Nestin Vas' life when even children singing carols at his home could not lift his spirits. He took them to his neighbour an old woman suffering from Alzheimer's. After the performance, she held Vas' hand, smiled and said, "Thank you."

This left the 23-year-old wondering how even the smallest, most innocuous gestures had the power to bring happiness to someone."On a daily basis, we make a difference to others subconsciously without even realising it," Vas says. "So how much more we could do together, driven by the intention of touching someone's life positively ."

Then a student of mechanical en gineering at BMS College, he set out with a group of friends to car ry out these small gestures. This led to the birth of `Little More Love' (LML) in April 2012, a platform that brings working professionals and students to volunteer for various causes such as spending time with senior citizens, orphans and HIV-positive children, conducting blood donation drives and raising money for the underprivileged in collaboration with NGOs.

For instance, 19 of them went door-to-door singing carols to collect money for an orphanage in Indiranagar. "We sang for senior citizens and paralysis patients who were undergoing a lot of pain.People came forward and thanked us for uniting their fragmented families, albeit for a brief moment," Vas continued.

Vas believes that monetary donations can be put on paper but the objective behind their work cannot be quantified. "It is about the hope our presence creates in people. They smile, understanding that there is someone out there who cares for them." He kept the momentum going even after graduation, working as a marketing engineer at Auma India.

Today , through word-of-mouth and social media, LML has 60 volunteers conducting at least three visits or events every month. Sishu Bhavan, Lingarajapuram, Infant Jesus Children's Home (for HIV+ children) and Little Sisters of the Poor old-age home are places they visit frequently. Visiting children's wings in hospitals, they sing songs and spend time with them.

Tejas R, founder of NGO Sparky Football, remembers how Vas and his team of 20 volunteers raised `23,400 by conducting a friendly football match for underprivileged children. "Not only did they organise the event, volunteers also brought home-cooked food and spent time with children.Nestin is very dedicated and has been a support throughout."

Vas's next step is to create an LML group in every college.