👩⚕️ Team – Aakansha Ringsia (Team Leader), Srushti Choudhari, Priya Kulkarni, Nancy Sangwan
📅 Dates & Venue –
- Theory Lecture: 17th July 2025, Lecture Hall – SMCW
- Hospital Visit: Within 2 weeks post-lecture, Hospital Blood Donation Drive Area
📍 Organized by – Symbiosis Medical College for Women, Pune (SMCW)
🌸 Introduction
🎓 Awareness Today. Lives Saved Tomorrow.
Blood is life, yet voluntary blood donation continues to fall short due to persistent myths, fear, and misinformation. Despite being a simple and safe procedure, blood donation is often avoided because of misconceptions such as weakness, risk, or long-term harm.
Project Jeevandhara – Raktadaan Jeevandaan was conceptualized to normalize blood donation by spreading awareness through lectures, posters, quizzes, and direct community interaction. The initiative aimed to inspire both future doctors and the general public to view blood donation not as a fear-driven act, but as a social responsibility and an act of compassion.
💡 The Need for Project Jeevandhara
- Blood donation in India is challenged by:
- Annual shortages of blood units
- Widespread myths and fear surrounding donation
- Lack of consistent awareness and motivation
- By breaking myths, encouraging open conversations, and providing factual information, Project Jeevandhara seeks to transform hesitation into willingness and make voluntary blood donation a social norm.
🎯 Objectives
✅ To identify myths and fears related to blood donation
✅ To conduct engaging awareness sessions using posters, quizzes, and talks
✅ To motivate individuals to participate in voluntary donation drives
✅ To assess immediate changes in mindset and willingness to donate
🧠 Planning Phase
Theme Selected: Changing Mindsets Around Blood Donation
Key Preparations:
- Brainstorming common myths versus scientific facts
- Designing posters and a structured PPT presentation
- Preparing interactive quiz material
- Pre-visit briefing for team coordination and role clarity
🔧 Execution Phase
📍 Location: Hospital Blood Donation Drive Area
👥 Participants: Future doctors, families, and hospital visitors
Activities Conducted:
- Lecture on blood donation statistics, myths vs facts, and voluntary donation
- Poster campaign (Stick It, Share It)
- Short 2-minute myth-busting talks
- Interactive quiz for participant engagement
- Community interaction during hospital visit
📊 Impact & Outcomes
🎓 Academic Impact
- Improved communication, counselling, and advocacy skills
- Practical application of preventive and social medicine concepts
- Strengthened teamwork and leadership abilities
🌍 Social Impact
- Reduction in myths and fear surrounding blood donation
- Increased openness toward voluntary donation
- Awareness extended to families and hospital visitors
🌟 Challenges Faced
- Limited time to address all misconceptions in depth
- Initial hesitation and fear among participants
- Difficulty in ensuring long-term behavioural consistency
- Despite these challenges, consistent engagement and clear communication resulted in positive participation and meaningful discussions.
🔮 Future Scope & Long-Term Vision
- Integration of blood donation awareness into annual college and community events
- Collaboration with blood banks for regular donation drives
- Expansion through social media posters and awareness reels
- Development of a peer-led awareness network for sustainability
🙏 Acknowledgements
We sincerely express our gratitude to:
- Symbiosis Medical College for Women for providing this platform
- Faculty mentors for their guidance and encouragement
- Hospital authorities and blood bank staff for their support
- All participants for their enthusiasm and openness
🏁 Conclusion
Project Jeevandhara – Raktadaan Jeevandaan reaffirmed that awareness is the first and most crucial step toward voluntary blood donation. By dispelling myths and encouraging informed conversations, the initiative moved closer to building a culture where blood donation is seen as a shared social responsibility.
💖 Every drop donated carries the power to give someone another tomorrow. 💖
