The Ramp & A Cause

Gawali,who is studying Business Administration from Bhartiya Vidyapeeth,recently organised a show to promote the importance of going green and also generate awareness about the increasing pollution in the city. “The models carried placards and even had slogans painted on their bodies to spread the message. Some of the slogans were ‘Go Green’ and ‘Plant more Trees’,” he says.

AIDS is another issue that this student feels strongly about. “The number of HIV affected people in India is now 45 lakhs. If unchecked,it can go up to a crore within a few years. We have had seven fashion shows to spread awareness about HIV in the state. One of the shows included people affected by the illness so that they themselves can help promote the message,” he adds.

Gawali’s work goes beyond merely spreading awareness. It seeks to motivate people to take up issues. “It is about getting more and more people to partake in any social cause that they feel for. The ‘Go Green’ fashion show that we organised at the Yeshwantrao Chavan Auditorium was a huge success as the audience mainly comprised youngsters. The message of the importance of planting trees and preventing plant life from becoming extinct was delivered to them. And it was very encouraging to see the support that they gave the event,” he adds.

Gawali,who has already completed his BA LLB,now plans to continue with organising fashion shows till he completes his masters. “I want to make short films on these topics and then showcase them at film festivals because the visual medium is an important means of throwing light on these social issues,” he says.