New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) Magic shows, movies and a whole lot of goodies. Children from humble backgrounds across the capital Tuesday had a field day as two corporate giants, PVR and Nirulas, on two separate occasions, entertained them – and promised them something even bigger: education.
The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) wing of PVR cinemas launched the Saket chapter of its Childscapes programme, which aims at educating street children. The programme, which has been going on in the Vasant Vihar area here, has succeeded in pulling out 75 children from the clutches of child labour on the streets to attending school.
At the launch programme, eight-year-old Mirwaiz, clad in a floor-sweeping green dress, couldn’t help running her fingers through her hair every now and then. “I am going to act in the play. That’s why I am dressed like this,” she said, looking at her flowing dress.
Vijay, who sat nearby, wearing his ‘Beckham’ hair-do in style, added that they have been practising for the play for more than a week now.
“We are all thrilled to perform on stage, in front of so many people,” he said. Vijay is now studying in class 5. Like him, most other children gathered in the hall were either rag pickers or doing odd jobs on the streets before the Childscapes programme team intervened.
“It was very difficult initially. When we started the Vasant Vihar chapter a year and a half back, we had to counsel the parents to send their children to school, even for a few hours, instead of sending them to work.
“But they were worried that by this they would lose a pair of hands to earn money. But we worked our way through. We told them that it would be just a four hours study programme and that we would provide them food as well,” Sarika Negi, CSR executive of PVR told IANS.
Nearly 50 children have already been inducted to be a part of the programme in the Saket chapter. Literacy India and Kathashala are two NGOs that work in association with the team of the Childscapes programme.
In another part of the city, Nirulas entertained their little customers with unlimited scoops of a variety of ice creams, and puppet and magic shows at a school run by Khushii, an NGO, for underprivileged children.
“We monetarily support the education programme of Khushii which runs in Delhi and Neemrana. But entertaining them like this is also a part of the deal!” Sudipta Sengupta, vice-president, marketing and sales of Nirulas, told IANS.
The school with nearly 600 students has classes from standard fourth to tenth. The boys come in the morning and the girls in the afternoon.
“Earlier, we had higher enrolment in case of boys but now, quite surprisingly, and we are happy about it, the number of girls is more,” said Sanjana Grover of Khushii.
As the afternoon rolled on with endless dollops of ice cream in a variety of flavours – chocolate, strawberry and vanilla to name a few – the children sat getting regaled by the tricks conjured by a magician.
“It’s a different life now. Unlike before, I go to school and study, and then get entertained like this. I can’t hop like the others, but my teachers take me to the hospital for regular check-ups.
“Now I can dream high…I want to become a doctor,” said a shy Rukshan, who despite her limp, walked around happily.
Renuka Chowdhury, Women and Child Development Minister, who was present at the launch function of PVR, said this was exactly what the ministry was aspiring to do – encourage more public-private partnership.
“This is our vision, hand-holding across the country to build an educated and informative India. By 2020, our country will be the youngest productive country in the world, and we must work harder in this direction to invest in our children, our future,” Chowdhury said.