Give more than vibes

Why does India love the idea of charity, but stop short of actual donation? Is there a way to open our hearts and wallets better?

- Urvee Modwel

People in India tend not to be charitable in small, useful ways. Consider donating your late dog's bowls, toys, beds and mats to a shelter, instead of getting rid of them.

When Sameera Mehra's dog, Diesel, passed away from a kidney infection in 2019, the Delhi-based financial consultant was, naturally, devastated. It took weeks before she realised she'd have to get rid of his bowls, toys, beds and mats. Throwing them away seemed cruel. So she took them to the local animal shelter. "Watching all the rescues there, some of them in terrible condition, I had an epiphany," she recalls. “I didn't have Diesel, but these dogs had nobody." Mehra donated 11,000 to the shelter that day - Diesel was 11 when he passed.

Every year since then, on Diesel's birthday in August, Mehra says she gives that amount to the shelter. "This is the least we can do," says Mehra.