“There will be a few moments in life that fundamentally reshape a person’s perspective. My journey into social service began as a B.Tech student in Hyderabad in 2015. In my first year, my classmates and I decided to donate blood at a hospital in Kacheguda. There, we met two young girls whose father, with a platelet count of 1500 due to dengue, urgently needed A+ blood. Our resources were limited. We put up statuses on social media, but it was too late. The next morning, we heard their father had passed away. That incident hit me hard, and I decided I had to do something. Thus, the Hyderabad Blood Donors Welfare Society was born.

Initially, our efforts were small. By 2018, we had grown considerably, creating WhatsApp groups and gathering a donor database. Today, we have over 15,000 active members willing to donate blood, thanks to a few volunteers and two close friends.

I dedicate at least four hours daily to connecting people in need with donors across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted several awareness programs on blood donation and assisted hundreds with urgent blood requests. Through our blood donation camps and government programs, we have collected thousands of blood units for Thalassemia patients, COVID-19 patients, pregnant women, accident victims, and more.

In India, rare blood groups like Bombay Blood Group, AB-, and A- are challenging to find. Despite this, we strive to connect those in need with donors. However, our journey hasn’t been without obstacles. Instances of fraud, where individuals claim to be donors and request money for travel expenses, have surfaced. To combat this, we collaborated with Police to create awareness programs, educating the public to avoid such scams.

Despite my professional commitments, I have tirelessly worked for blood donation awareness for the past nine years. Let’s foster a culture of regular blood donations, especially among the youth. Through educational campaigns and community engagement, we can sustain and expand the donor pool. Together, we can save lives and enhance the well-being of people in need.”

• Bandi Shravan, Founder of Hyderabad Blood Donors Welfare Society