WAKE UP...

He pulls the rickshaw loaded with heavy goods.

She washes utensils and clothes & scrubs floors.

He attends to the fiery customer’s & owner’s wrath & beatings.

She inhales the toxic fumes while making matches & fireworks. 

He cycles long distances to deliver newspapers.

She collects steals flowers even from her notorious neighbor.

He carries heavy sacks on his tender shoulders.

She waits in the queue and fetches extra buckets filled with water.

The Little Santa

Little Mili excitedly came from school.

“Mom guess what? Remember the Story-writing competition I had taken part? I won the first prize- Rs 500!” 

“That’s wonderful, dear! How do you plan to spend it?” her Mom asked.

“Tomorrow is Children’s Day. I wish to buy some Parle G biscuit-packets, Note-Copies, Nataraj Pencils & Erasers and distribute amongst the slum children,” said Mili.

Her Mom had tears in her eyes as she hugged Mili.

It was that Special Children's Day programme on Doordarshan that they had together watched a few days ago that had highlighted to the young impressionable mind of Mili how needy some kids are… Many don’t have access to even basic facilities and requirements like Roti, Kapda, Makaan (Food, Clothes, House) leave alone school or education. That day Mili had asked her Mom how they can help the children. 

Blog To Feed A Child - III

We can help eliminate classroom hunger by providing good food to all the children.

Classroom hunger implies much more than a child's hunger when in a classroom... It is successfully addressed and satisfied in many schools in India.                     

Food served in the schools i.e. the mid-day meals happen to be the sole meal of the day for many children as their parents cannot afford food to feed them.

Thus, one of the important reasons why the child is in a classroom in the first place is to drive off hunger.

Blog To Feed A Child - II

Today, November 14^th, is celebrated as Children’s Day in India to commemorate Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru’s birth anniversary. 

Globally, Children’s Day is celebrated on November 20^th each year. On the same date in 1954, the declaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations. 

The fact is that after so many years of India’s independence and also United Nations' adoption of the  Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989, many children, especially in the Indian sub-continent, are yet to experience a good quality of life. 

Many don’t even have access to basic necessities like water, food, clothes & shelter...

Blog To Feed A Child - I

Poverty has its repercussions and a direct impact on hunger & education.

It is sad that millions of children have to choose between hunger and education everyday.

Attending school ought to be every child’s right.  However, the Right To Education & attending school is the privilege of a few lucky children.

Why can’t we ensure every kid is ‘lucky’ this way? 

Is it so tough to ensure that every child gets even one square meal a day?

For a majority, attending school entails missing out on a major part of the day & hence missing to contribute to the family-income. Tiny hands happen to be the helping-hands and support system that need to be “employed” to help sustain their family. Their parents have no option as they too are driven by basic necessities like hunger…

‘Peyt ka sawaal hai’(It’s a question of the stomach).