This weekend is the start of Durga Puja, so we're in the middle of the season of festivity and the streets are filled with people shopping for gifts, building pandals, and putting up twinkle lights. The closest thing I can compare it to is Christmas, except that Kolkata has 4.5 million people and those 4.5 million people are all going to be celebrating outside in the middle of the streets as opposed to inside their homes.
Importantly, Durga Puja is also a time for giving back to the community, so much so that this week is even called the Joy of Giving. In celebration of this, Destiny Reflection set out on a mission to fundraise and buy new dresses for 150 girls living at the Sukanya Government Shelter Home. This mission was hugely successful and over the weekend we had the pleasure of going along with other Destiny Reflection staff and donors to personally deliver those dresses to the girls.
At first, Zahra and I were unsure about the notion of buying new clothes for these girls. We appreciate clothes as much as anything, but with that money wouldn't some form of entertainment or supplies be longer lasting and more versatile? We discussed this at length. The thing is, these girls don't get much of a childhood. They don't have doting parents to pamper them or to even just spend time with them during the holidays. One Destiny Reflection staff member told us a story about a 5 year old girl being extremely surprised to learn that in many cases, mothers and their children live together in the same home.
Another girl, 6 years old, was crying and asking to be taken to a bus stop so that she could make her way back to her Grandmother's house, saying she knew exactly where her family was if only she could just catch a bus. The older girls (teenagers) act as mothers to the younger girls, guiding them as best as they know. Several of these girls have their own children, some living with them in the shelter home, some staying in other shelters or hostels where they can receive an education (remember all of the girls at this shelter home are under the age of 18).
Sure, there are lots of things that this money could have gone towards, but by giving them new clothes, in their eyes it meant they got to participate in the Durga Puja celebrations. Something as simple as a new dress helps them feel part of the festival, included in their culture and gives them something that sets them apart from other girls.
It was two hours of calling names, handing out dresses, and seeing all of their overjoyed faces and then watching the crowds form once all the dresses had been given out and some wanted to exchange colours and sizes. At the end, everyone walked away with new clothes and big smiles.
Mission accomplished.
Importantly, Durga Puja is also a time for giving back to the community, so much so that this week is even called the Joy of Giving. In celebration of this, Destiny Reflection set out on a mission to fundraise and buy new dresses for 150 girls living at the Sukanya Government Shelter Home. This mission was hugely successful and over the weekend we had the pleasure of going along with other Destiny Reflection staff and donors to personally deliver those dresses to the girls.
At first, Zahra and I were unsure about the notion of buying new clothes for these girls. We appreciate clothes as much as anything, but with that money wouldn't some form of entertainment or supplies be longer lasting and more versatile? We discussed this at length. The thing is, these girls don't get much of a childhood. They don't have doting parents to pamper them or to even just spend time with them during the holidays. One Destiny Reflection staff member told us a story about a 5 year old girl being extremely surprised to learn that in many cases, mothers and their children live together in the same home.
Another girl, 6 years old, was crying and asking to be taken to a bus stop so that she could make her way back to her Grandmother's house, saying she knew exactly where her family was if only she could just catch a bus. The older girls (teenagers) act as mothers to the younger girls, guiding them as best as they know. Several of these girls have their own children, some living with them in the shelter home, some staying in other shelters or hostels where they can receive an education (remember all of the girls at this shelter home are under the age of 18).
Sure, there are lots of things that this money could have gone towards, but by giving them new clothes, in their eyes it meant they got to participate in the Durga Puja celebrations. Something as simple as a new dress helps them feel part of the festival, included in their culture and gives them something that sets them apart from other girls.
It was two hours of calling names, handing out dresses, and seeing all of their overjoyed faces and then watching the crowds form once all the dresses had been given out and some wanted to exchange colours and sizes. At the end, everyone walked away with new clothes and big smiles.
Mission accomplished.
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