Brother Jittin Mathew
MUMBAI, JULY 31, 2018: “True joy lies in bringing happiness to others without expecting anything in return.” Keeping this thought in mind, around 20 volunteers of the National Service Scheme (NSS) unit of Dwarkadas J Sanghvi College of Engineering paid a visit to the Bosco Boys’ Home in Borivli on July 29, to spread smiles to the ones who really deserved it.
The volunteers had fun and educational activities planned for the kids. They started by introducing themselves so as to build a rapport with the boys. It was then followed by an ice-breaker activity wherein kids was asked to introduce themselves. At first, the boys were shy to express themselves but slowly, with some friendly games, the volunteers managed to help the boys express themselves freely.
The NSS volunteers then enacted skits themed, ‘Respect for Women’, ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ and ‘Do not Drink and Drive’ to impress upon the boys the values of respect for women, the importance of cleanliness and the dangers of substance abuse.
The volunteers aimed to instil in the boys the qualities of a good human being and honest citizen. “The ceaseless spirit and exuberance of the the boys, managed to keep us on our toes,” Meet Parpani, a volunteer, said.
The children were then divided into groups, agewise. They were given educational activity sheets to solve, through the active involvement of the volunteers. The activity sheets were divided into two sections: easy and advanced level.
Snacks were distributed, followed by an impromptu dance session in which the talents of the boys came to the fore.
Prince Chalwa, from Bosco Boys Home, gave the vote of thanks. “Thank you NSS for making our day full of fun and frolic, and teaching us the important values of life,” he said.
“The reluctant goodbyes made it much harder for us to leave but the memories forged were for a lifetime. The fact that they wanted to give something back to the us - be it drawings or a dance choreographed by them - left us completely amazed. They taught us something valuable, just as we did, for them. The pure joy on their faces, their ability to mingle with just about anybody, made us feel at home, ” a volunteer, said.
The goodbyes and the smiles on the innocent faces, latched onto the hearts and minds of the 20 volunteers, etching an unforgettable memory in their hearts.