Social worker walks over 17,000 km to spread awareness on blood donation

Kohima: A Delhi-based social worker is undertaking a 21,000 km-journey on foot to spread awareness on blood donation.

Kiran Verma started his journey from Kerala capital Thiruvananthapuram on December 28, 2021 and so far, he has covered 17,700 km, reaching the northeastern state of Nagaland.

Verma, in a statement issued here on Monday, said that his mission is to spread awareness on the importance of blood donation so that nobody dies for want of blood.

He said that so far, 126 blood donation camps have been organised across the country to support his cause and 26,722 units have been collected.

Apart from the camps, more than 9,000 people have donated blood at various blood banks across the country and abroad to support the campaign, he said.

On reaching Kohima on Sunday, he called on Tourism and Higher Education Minister Temjen Imna Along, who is immensely popular on social media across the nation for his witty sense of humour.

Along, on a social media post, wished Verma all the best, and appealed to those who can, to donate blood to save people's lives.

Verma has covered 229 districts across 17 states and Union territories to reach Kohima.

He said he wants to encourage at least 50 lakh new donors so that blood banks and hospitals don't run dry on blood.

He will next visit Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and other parts of the Northeast.

Verma has founded 'Change With One Foundation', under which he runs two programmes 'Simply Blood' and 'Change With One Meal'.

He claimed 'Simply Blood', launched on January 29, 2017, is the world's first virtual blood donation platform, connecting donors and seekers in real time free of any charge.

Under 'Change With One Meal', unlimited meals are served to anyone at Rs 10, Verma added.