For my CAS project I along with my cousin and friend had organized a tree plantation event in Gandhidham. The plantation took place at 2 places, Karuna Vihar(orphanage) and Amar Panchwati. There was no limitation for age, anyone could come to plant. We had planted 30 plants and 7-8 seed of cotton. The plants included Lemon, Chikoo, Pomegranate, Guava, Mogara, Aloevera, Rose, Tulsi, Murraya paniculata, Chrysanthemum, etc.
The learning outcomes which we achieved were:-
LO 1- Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth
Today with the huge rise in pollution and deforestation, I wanted to do something good for the environment because I am also responsible for polluting it. I am particularly good at leading events and also at motivating people. The biggest advantage in this event was that I was working with the people I know and the strength was the bond which I shared with them. This made it very easy to execute the event. I improved my communication and leadership skills in this way.
LO 2- Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken developing new skills
Tree plantation was not an easy task. First of all gathering participants in such a remote area was a very difficult task. I worked with my cousin and a friend, they both lived there so they played a huge role in gathering people. I made sure that they did not take this project lightly and worked on it seriously. I improved my leadership and communication skills during that period.
LO 3- Initiate and plan a CAS experience
As I mentioned about the challenges above, for carrying out a perfect event, we had to make sure everything was planned. I started planning on it since the start of October, gathering information as to where we would get plants and seed for the plantation, planning out where we would carry out the plantation along with my team members, etc. We were doing this for a good cause so everything had to be done perfectly.
LO 4- Commitment to and perseverance
I was very difficult to carry out all these processes, but we had to stay committed for what we had to do. The main reason which kept us going was a good cause, for the environment and for where we were planting the plants and seeds. My cousin got very frustrated because she did not want to do so much hard work in vacations, but I convinced her to keep going so that we could complete all the work on time. I at one point was also very lazy because of the thought that I would not get any free time, but I made sure that I avoided this.
LO 5- Demonstrate skills and benefits of working collaboratively
Teamwork is a very important thing when you are having such difficult tasks at hand. It would be very difficult to complete this project if I did not worked in a team. My team members played a crucial role in bringing many people for the plantation. My friend was helping me to find a place where we could buy plants and seeds. He also helped me in looking for good places to carry out the plantation. Teamwork helps a lot in improving your communication and leadership skills.
LO 6- Engagement with issues of global significance
The environment is being harmed daily by us. This is leading to global warming. Everyone is trying to do something to prevent. I could not do a lot, but I could start with something small, so I decided to do this tree plantation. This issue is a huge problem throughout the world which could cause huge problems to the coming generations, so everyone should act fast. I would want to convince more people to get into such good acts for the environment.
LO 7- Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions
We had carried out the plantation in 2 places as I mentioned before. It was very important to take permission before we carried out the plantation. We also had to make sure that no other plants were harmed in order to carry out our plantation. The people who volunteered for the plantation were our responsibility, so we had to make sure that they were not harmed in any way.
The entire event was amazing. We convinced the people to look after the plants and the seeds. My cousin and friend will also have a look on them regularly. I am so happy that I was the one to organise this event and do something good not only for the environment but for the orphanage as well. We have planted fruit plants, so after they grow the people could use the fruits from those plants. I was able to do 2 good tasks out of 1. I would love to take part or organise such events in the future.