Jobless executives turn noble, join NGOs

Rendered jobless in recession, executives turn benevolent by volunteering for NGOs. "There is a rise in the number of people wishing to volunteer. This includes people, who have been laid-off, and also those on the bench and the ones on unpaid leave," said People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) spokesperson NG Jayasimha.

Even, Smile Foundation, an NGO for unprivileged children has seen a notable increase in requests for volunteering over the past two months. We receive around 20 such requests each day. "All are qualified professionals from fields," said Sandip Nayak Sr. Manager Smile Foundation told The Economic Times. Many of the volunteers have turned to armchair activism like writing letters to authorities, friends and acquaintances to take action against any cruelty. The number of volunteers at Child Rights and You (CRY) has almost doubled during December 2008-January 2009 compared with September, October and November 2008.

The recession has triggered immense layoffs, shorter week days and forced holidays leaving the troubled executives with ample time to pursue a noble cause. MBA graduate P Mohan increased his participation in PETA's activities, after the company he was placed with delayed taking him on board, while Manhar Khanna, who had quit a software company has volunteered for Smile. "Being an animal lover, I feel this was an excellent way to keep myself occupied. I help PETA in organizing press conferences, educational campaigns, demonstrations, etc," said Mohan. Asha Arora, formerly a PR firm employee, is putting her computer skills to good use by assisting PETA's administration team.