In india, 1.5 lakhs people die every year because of the lack of road safety. This is even more than most densely populated cities of world. This issue is solvable if awareness regarding road safety and traffic safety is spread correctly in common people. Team Baroda Beat got lucky enough to encounter one such idea-rather the movement and to meet the brilliant mind behind that at roadside, Mr.Satyen Kulabhkar, who initiated-created "Team safe"-safety awareness for everyone. From his busy schedule of managing to T's of his life-Tata and Team Safe, national award winner for road safety and traffic, Mr Satyen spard the time for us from his busy schedule and had a talk with us. Here are the glimpses of the session we shared.
Que. What is team safe and how it works?
Team safe-safety awareness for everyone. Team Safe basically works as a platform for youth who want to reach out to community for helping them. A group of voluntary young people, they are trained with traffic rules and road safety and this group of 20-25 divide themselves into smaller groups and then each group conduct programs for sensitizing people in the community and this how team safe reaches to masses of people. Team safe doesn't receive any fundings for its work. It is completely voluntary organization. Also, team safe is involved in Baroda police traffic awareness programs.
Que. How did team safe happen?
I always wanted to find the way to giving back to society. Having money doesn't totally solve all the problems but you have to initiate an idea, find out some way to make sustainable change. Indian youth talk about how nobody is doing anything for anyone so why not make way for their contribution to society. This made the idea of team safe possible.
Que. Can you please share some of team safe's activities/achievements?
Team safe has educated 90,000 children regarding road safety in year 2013. Team safe has got three Limca book of world records mentions on its name in 2014. It holds the record of conducting awareness programs in 40 schools and 40 corporate in a single day and also holds record for 6000 hours of work in a single year. Team safe does road safety carnivals as part of their annual event. They have started initiative of painting the walls with graffiti on road safety.
Que. Any news from your side, Sir?
It is an accomplishment that MSU is introducing a certificate course of road safety in the section of the adult education courses in which I will be the key person. Teams safe is planning to expand their horizons and are starting their work in Surat and Rajkot as well.
Que. Any message for youth?
I only want to say that be confident when you start working towards something. You are alone at first but people will join you just need be focused on the goal you want to achieve.
Article By: Hetvi Chatufale