Rotary Blood Bank New Delhi has been carrying out the crusade to create a regular and safe blood supply in Delhi and neighbouring areas since 2002. Despite the fact that more and more people are now realizing the importance of donating blood, overcoming the acute shortage of blood requires stronger awareness measures.
Young 25 Club is an initiative of the Rotary Blood Bank, New Delhi with an aim to wipe off the scarcity of blood; to ensure availability of safe and quality blood round the clock; and to promote voluntary donation among the youth.
The need of the hour is to create a motivated group of repeat donors who would pledge to donate blood regularly to overcome the severe shortage of blood supply. In India , people in the age group of 15-29 years comprise almost one-fourth of the country’s population.Young 25 Club aims to involve students/children in colleges, universities and educational institutes to motivate young volunteers as blood donors and to instill among them the value of saving lives by regularly donating blood.
Young 25 around the world
Young 25 is based on Club 25 or “Pledge 25”, a Philippine National Red Cross Youth Department project, started in 1999, set up to recruit young volunteers as blood donors. The project emphasizes the value of saving lives by giving blood. The Philippine initiative is the first Red Cross involvement in this project. Young blood donors pledge to donate blood three to four times a year, from the age of 18 to 25 years. After this, they will join other blood donors’ groups and continue donating blood. They also work to recruit new donors.
The Red Cross Pledge 25, also called “Club 25″, started in Zimbabwe in 1989 to target an untapped pool of low-risk donors. A student suggested that young people should commit to give blood 25 times by age 25. Now, “Club 25” members donate around 70% of the blood collected in Zimbabwe . “Club 25″ has spread around the world.
In addition to the obvious benefit of more, safer, blood being donated, the additional benefits are numerous! In Malawi , Club 25 has only been operational for two years and the Malawi Club 25 provides opportunities for social interaction at different levels and collaboration and contact at global level. These are positive benefits to all members regarding personal development and leadership skills.
JOIN Young 25 Club
If you are a student over the age of 18 years, you can join Young 25 Club as a Member or as a Resource person. Your educational institute/college will need to selects a resource person, ideally the President of the NSS group of your college or a Faculty member. Any other person who motivates at least 10 donors is also welcome. Rotary Blood Bank will provide all support and motivational material to assist the resource persons in mobilizing students to become members of the Club and regular blood donors thereafter.
Membership criteria
- A person would take a PLEDGE to donate blood at least twice or thrice a year.
- She/he would commit to DONATE REGULARLY TILL THE AGE OF 25 YEARS / 25 TIMES
Want to be a part of Young 25 Club? Write to young25@rotarybloodbank.org to know more about this initiative.
