In a period of over one and a half years with WNS, for the first time I practically got associated with the WNS CSR initiative. Though, I have been doing this in bits n pieces but this time it was different.
I saw an email from WNS Corporate Communications team that they are organizing an Art & Craft workshop for the under privileged children adopted by WNS on Thursday at 1600hrs. I immediately knew that I was going to be a part of it. I replied to that email in just 3 words – “Count me in”.
On Thursday, 30th July 09 at 1500hrs, we left WNS for ‘Sai Kripa Bal Kutir’, Noida. There were 13 volunteers from WNS who came together to bring smile on the faces of those little kids who have every right to be happy. It was an hours’ drive from our office to their Sansthan.
The entry to their Sansthan was a small gate almost half the length of an average Indian male followed by a narrow lane surrounded with plants on both the sides. The narrow lane which didn’t last more than 100 mts. ended in the Sansthan’s garden cum playground. There was little grass on the ground but lot of trees along the edges of the garden.
This was my first visit and thus I was looking forward to meet the kids. There I met 2 representatives of the NGO called ‘Joining Hands’ who facilitate such activities for WNS and Sai Kripa Bal Kutir. There were over 25 children, a mix of boys and girls, in the age group of 1 to 15 yrs with most of them around 5-10 years old (rather young).
When we reached, the kids were already occupied in making creative stuff with balloons, tissue paper, ice cream sticks, colored paper, card board, etc. They wanted the glue to paste the round belly of their paper man on the ice cream stick. Some one shouted - I lost the cap of my paper man. So now it was our time to facilitate these kids to make that stuff. So what then, amongst the children I felt like I was back in my childhood. Cutting shapes with colored paper and pasting them on the ice cream sticks; helping them with coloring and cutting, it was so much fun. I painted my hands red and blue and black while using markers. The glue was all over my hands but there was no stopping.
Children made beautiful bowls, cups, photo frames with tissue papers soaked in glue. They painted them with beautiful colors in red and green and blue. Some of them made hand-fan, tied red ribbon around its handle made of hard paper. It was like our art & crafts class during the school time. I also made a flag before winding up the stuff.
Then it was time to make some noise with the children. That was the time I got to know that I am so bad at reciting nursery rhymes. The children and the other volunteers knew them so well and I remembered so little. We recited – Twinkle Twinkle, Johnny Johnny and Humpty Dumpty. Here I will tell you all those poems so you don’t have to cut a sorry figure like me 
Twinkle Twinkle
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky!
Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses,
And all the king's men,
Couldn't put Humpty together again.
Johnny Johnny
Johnny, Johnny,
Yes, Papa,
Eating sugar?
No, Papa
Telling lies?
No, Papa
Open your mouth
O Ha! Ha! Ha!
Now go and tell these to children around you and make them feel loved.
Before leaving we all danced to the tunes of some popular bollywood numbers with the children.
In those 2 hours spent with kids, I realized that there is lot to be done at our end. We just can’t keep enjoying our lives and ignore these less fortunate children. They deserve our love and care.
I look forward to such activities more often.
Hi, loved this blog. Well written too. You say there is a lot to be done at our end, but there is a lot that is already being done by people such as you! Great going, Shellie.