Port Blair, Nov 05: Daan Utsav is India’s festival of giving which was started by a handful of volunteers in Mainland India to promote the idea of giving and sharing every year. Slowly this festival has grown from just an idea to a mass movement of giving. Similarly the Daan Utsav was introduced to the islands by the NGO named “Rights for All” , through the Joy Of Giving , a toy donation drive which RFA conducted in collaboration with one of the most prestigious schools of the islands, Naval Children School in the month of October. The toy donation drive aptly named “The Joy Of giving” is about gifting toys to those children who have been deprived of so many things, let alone the luxury of toys. The donors and receivers in this #daanUtsav were both children, thus the privileged kids feeling a sense of responsibility and sensitatization towards their lesser counterparts. It’s the right of every child to have an enjoyable childhood and grow in the magical and imaginary world that the toys create for them, toys for the underprivileged just like any other child play an important role in the emotional, cognitive and psychological development of the child.
As part of the Diwali celebration, while many others fulfill basic needs of food, clothing and education, the team at Rights for All focused on bringing happiness through play in the lives of the children . Toys in great number and good quality were generously donated by the children of the NCS school.
In a function organized at Seva Niketan Shelter home, the toys were gifted to the inmates through the hands of the chief guest , Mr. Shailendra Singh, Director ,Social welfare department, who lauded the novel initiative by the NGO . In her welcome address Mrs. Rubina Siddiqui, President “Rights for All” said that the driving force behind this idea at RFA was that , they were not doing just any charity, but were giving children access to one of their basic Rights while at the same time inculcating the joy of giving one of their own toys amongst the school children.
While the guest of honor was Mr. C James ,Programme Officer, ICDS stressed on the importance of toys in the life of children while executive Board member,RFA Thamaria Selvi proposed the vote of thanks. . Renowned Ventriloquist of the islands Ms Priyanka enthralled the children with her performance and magic tricks. Vice President Rights for All, Dr Arun K Unnithan and President Seva Niketan Mr Hrishikesh Sinha were also present on the occasion.
The Organization would be continuing taking this initiative to various schools , and toys collected thus would collected would be distributed to children of various shelter homes and anganwadis centers.
