Have you ever thought what gives you real happiness?.... I think the right answer will be "seeing happiness in others and that too when you know you are a reason behind it".... Yes the same i felt this day when we visited this Don Bosco child rehabilitation center at Ajjanahalli.
"I would like to thank Honeywell team who allowed me to be part of this and all credits of Pics goes to Suraj Prakash..."
At my wife's office, her team took this initiative in collecting money and buying few goods to donate to the Don Basco yuvakara grama. My wife asked me to join and I was also happy to be part of that. They almost collected 24K where 8K is planned for a day lunch and rest for buying some essential daily goods. They contacted Father in that center and tried to understand what exactly they wanted. We all went to Metro and bought all things to match up the contributions we collected. Also ordered cakes for children.
What is this Don Basco child rehabilitation center?
let me add few words which I understood from them. There are about 120 children of different age groups between 7-16 years. Parents of few kids were not able to afford the food and education, Few parents died, few parents even suicide, few parents went to jail, for few no father and mother herself trying hard to lead daily life.....So many sad stories... Each kid have a unique problem...Your eye will dry out of tears talking to just few kids....What ever the story you hear...the only thing you see is a big smile from those innocent faces.Once they get a kid they give him special classes and put him to the class which he suites well... I heard that no one failed in 10th Exam here...Very great...
And journey to meet these smiles went like this....
We started around 8:00am and had breakfast on mysore road and we reached this center at around 10am. As soon as we reached, kids with Father were ready to greet us. They welcomed with great welcome song. We saw one small boy was crying...Instantly everybody around him started consoling him with great love...How many of us really have those many people around us to take a share of our tears...Very less....
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| All kids welcoming us... |
After that we started distributing cakes.... Each one came in a line and took their cake and started eating little by little... Enjoying every bite of it....And we eat in front of TV's or chatting on unwanted things and don't know what even we are eating and how much....
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| Posing with their Cakes |
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| Smiles...When was the last time we gave a pose like this? |
Then Father told the kids to help us in trekking the small hill side by. All kids jumped and ran and came to us to reserve our hands...Yes they were very very happy to hold our hands...They were so happy when i just placed my hand on their shoulders...They held my hand tightly so that i will not take out from their shoulders.
It was a nice trekking experience. Even though it was bit hot...we enjoyed every part of it... With in 20 min we reached top of hill and then spent good amount of time in playing anthakshari... Kids were very enjoying singing and we were enjoying seeing them...After some time...we came back down ....
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| This boy hold my hand for very long time.. |
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| View of this center from top of the hill.. |
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Then they took us to small rock garden which was created by these kids only..We spent some time there again...And we were all very hungry...
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| At Rock garden...Showed them that I can also climb... |
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| :) Each one trying to put horn for other... |
At 2pm we went to lunch hall where all kids were already sat waiting for the food. We sat with them and had a nice lunch. They get egg 2 times a week, daily milk, once in a day curd and usual 3 times food. We told Father to add chicken and ice cream as part of the menu. Everybody ate enitre food and kept all their chicken pieces aside. At the end of lunch they started eating one by one again enjoying every bit of it. The same happened with ice cream... I saw one kid was done with his lunch leaving some rice in his plate...When he declared that he is done...all kids side by him shared that rice with out wasting even single grain... Wow that shows a true respect to food... They can get fresh rice but they preferred of not wasting the food...
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| Mess hall where they enjoy food... |
This was interesting part...We asked them to smile for pics by asking them to say "Cheeeeees"...You know what they say..."Cheese is from italy....and as we are indians... let us say Chapathiiiiiiii"...So nice one naaa....
After food we played volley ball, basket ball, foot ball and spent some time with few kids and Father understanding more on how they work....
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| Playing Volley Ball |
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| Foot ball..This is their favorite... |
They arranged a small show for us where they showed few dances, sang few songs, had a small comedy drama...
Finally around 4pm we started back to Bangalore ending a nice day....Those smiles will always be remembered....
NOW tell me....who donated the real happiness...It was them....Not us...
Doesn't it make you feel that you should also have a day like this... Then stop thinking and try the same in your apartments, teams, work places, friends group, relatives.......If you can't gather many people...Then even going alone is most welcomed... Just go there and enjoy the day and come....
More details: Don Bosco Yuvakara Grama, Ajjanahalli, Maagadi taluk, Ramanagara Dist, Karnataka-561201 - ceeve@rediffmail.com - 080 7702754 - 080 7702032
