14/11/11....Children' Day....
As a child,I never had the excitement of this day...probably because I would get all that i wanted with a blink in eye...but this same feeling(i have a lot,but what about those nothing,so why not make them feel the same) led me to participate in a cause-event called RDX-Redistribution of Excess...i.e.distribute those things of yours which you think are excess or 'unwanted' but may be someone's 'need'.....those things would then be distributed to poor children...thus making 'children's day so special...bringing smiles on those underprivileged children.....
I did not gift anything....i wanted to give only new 1st hand things...thats what was used to it as a child....and i did not have enough time to buy!...sounds weird but true....so i just decided to volunteer....handling hundreds of kids lined up to get a gift!
I was super-duper excited for two things...I bunked my office aswell(routine)....and I was trying something new and good!
I reached the place on time....but there were kids already lined up before time...it was 10:30 in morning....but sun was bright.....an open ground..filled with the yells,talks and excitement of kids.....and surpringly there parents as well...
As I took reins as a volunteer...I lined up kids...n tried to ensure that kids that they don't push each other...that the ones lined up for so long gets a fair chance to get there due gifts...
But within minutes I realized the ground reality of so-called social work...
1.Children were standing in scorching heat....and the organizers of the event wanted chief guest to arrive to start giving gifts...and who was it...a political party leader....!No kudos for guessing...the he arrived late...
2.The Children were getting late for school...some uniform-clad...standing under hot sun and many barefoot....
3.The smile on faces of children was billion-dollar....i was amazed...a second-hand thing did to those children,what a first hand gift cannot do to a well to do wealthy kid....
4.The Gifts were even rejected with so much anger!....coz a girl child was handed a guy's wardrobe and vice-versa....or an over-sized one.....i was amazed but it made sense...after all they queued up for so long in scorching sun not to be a joke on name of social cause....
5.As the event ended....was I content.????...or proud of what we did?then its a BIG NO....the event was completely ill-managed...the chief guest concept was an utter non-sense(but probably without pampering the netas...u dont get permission to such things at all!).....but onething i realized is rather then jus 'giving the fish to eat....we as social workers must teach how to fish!'.....thus adding value on long term basis....a gift of life....!
I just hope all these feelings materialize into some right direction....i.e a feeling that something is wrong....brings out the right!....and till then m content that something is atleast better than nothing!