“Good Morning, Ma’am.” “Good Morning, Ma’am.” said the kids, excitement and expectations writ large on their faces,as they alighted from the bus. We, at GurgaonMoms celebrated the 126th birth anniversary of Chacha Nehru by facilitating a joy ride on the metro for 120 children of the Radiant School. Radiant School is not a run-of-the-mill institution. Aparnaa Laxmi, the lady behind the school says, “I initiated the “Radiant Kids” school on the 14th of April, 2012, in Jharsa Village. I have been workingsingle– handedly with my own funds during these two years, by enrolling un-enrolled children. From the initial 40-45 students, our present strength has increased to about 125 children, both boys as well as girls, in the age group of 3 to 18. The objective is to provide basic education to all children who are out of school; value- based and quality education in English, Maths, and Computers to underprivileged children of rag-pickers, construction workers, maids, and vegetable vendors of the area and to provide a creative and conducive platform by way of sports, karate, music, library, etc., for the holistic development of all its students. We aim to link not only the students but also other young adults and women of the area to vocations and skills, to enable them to earn a decent living for themselves.”
[For viewing the album, click here ]
What comes through when one sees these children is the discipline and sense of gratitude they all possess. The children got off from the bus and neatly formed a line waiting to be ushered into the station. The excitement was infectious, made us all become child-like. DLF, our generous sponsor for the train ride ensured that no stone was left unturned, to welcome these children. As the children waited patiently to board ‘The Joy Express ‘, the train chugged into platform and the doors opened to reveal the carriages, festooned with balloons to welcome the kids. The children entered the coaches, with a loud cheer!
For the next 30 minutes, the children enjoyed views of Gurgaon’s soaring skyline, and various parts of the city, as they took in the experience. While the train ride itself was exciting enough, in order to make the experience more special, there were tattoo artists and a magician on-board the joy express. The tattoo artists worked their magic on the tiny hands, and we also had one young lad who wanted a tattoo made on his neck. The magician had a few tricks up his sleeve and he also ensured the children had a good time on the train. Anshu Bhatia, a volunteer mom said, “ Seeing the children smile truly made my day .Glad that I could be a part of this.”
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Our next stop was Cyber Hub where a visual treat awaited us all. The Dutch Dragon Crew performed an absolutely stunning rope act, which kept all of us, the children and adults, enthralled. Wendy’s, the American international fast food restaurant came on board to provide their signature burger to each child. It was a delight to watch the children munch away happily. We also saw a few children quietly putting the burger away into their bags to share and enjoy it with their families. “These are the moments that make everything worth it,” we heard a member exclaim.
Sonica Singh of Healthy Bakers also pitched in and provided each kid with a cupcake. “Arre cake bhi hai,” said a little girl with a twinkle in her eye as she opened up the packet. The children also let their artististic side take over as they made a painting each, which were displayed at Cyber Hub. Thus ended a wonderful morning for the kids.
With the generous contributions from GurgaonMoms members, we also put together a goody bag for each child to take home. Horlicks surpised the kids with a 500 gms Horlicks PET Bottle. This hamper was appreciated by the kids and Aparnaa alike. She said, “ a gift hamper with multiple items that were a balance of both the useful and indulgent, all adding up to pampering fit for royalty.” MatriKiran School helped us with logistics for the children. Santa Fe helped us with transporting Goody Bags
The love we received from the children is something that money can never buy. Their absolutely genuine thank yous still ring in our ears. November 14, 2015 will always be special for us at GurgaonMoms and our volunteer moms for sure.
Read a beautiful personal account of our member at http://bit.ly/1PyqxA2
Photo Courtesy : Shalini Makhija
Awesome Volunteers : Subhashini Ramasubramanian, Vidya Raja, Vidhya Venkat , Anshu Bhatia, Archana Kumari , Gyaneshwari Sharmai , Harpreet Bhatia, Meena Yadav, Nehaa, Nidhi Agarwal, , Ruchi Thapliyal Dubey, Sunali Anand Gaur, Vickey Angel. Upasana and Vidya – special appluase – for putting everything together
