Bridging Gaps and Building Bonds, CRY volunteers win over hearts and kids at Hyderabad’s Child Care Institutes
A group of volunteers comprising young students and working professionals and children from two Child Care Institutes in Hyderabad run by the Department of Women and Child Welfare, government of Telengana – what happens when the twain does meet over an eight-week summer camp? Fun, laughter, heart-to-heart conversations, interesting and out-of-the-box activities and memories to cherish forever, at both ends.
In a heart-warming display of community spirit and altruism, Child Rights and You – CRY volunteers in Hyderabad city have been devoting their time and energy to support child care institutions and bring smiles to the faces of children in need. These unsung heroes are making a significant impact on the lives of these young ones, offering hope, guidance, and companionship.
Child care institutions play a vital role in society, providing shelter and care for children who have experienced neglect, abuse, or abandonment. However, the resources available to these institutions are often stretched thin, making it a challenge to provide individualized attention and care for each child. This is where the dedicated volunteers step in.
New windows
These volunteers create an atmosphere of love, encouragement, and support that many of these children have never experienced before. One of the remarkable aspects of this volunteer work is the enduring relationships formed between the children and their volunteers. Through reading sessions, art and craft activities, sports, and simply spending quality time together, strong bonds are forged. These connections become a source of stability and positive influence in the lives of the children.
Volunteers shared heart-warming stories of transformation and growth in the children they work with. From improved academic performance to increased self-confidence and a brighter outlook on life, the impact of these volunteers goes beyond the walls of the child care institutions.
Keerthi, a 25-year-old medical graduate, had always wanted to work on children’s issues. For her, volunteering with Child Rights and You – CRY would have been the perfect opportunity to pursue a cause close to her heart, as well get some on-field work experience. But, in her own words, participating in the summer camp at Yousufguda Child Care Institute, playing a mentor-cum-teacher-cum-friend to 54 excited young girls, opened up a new window of learnings and realizations for her.
The bond between Keerthi, as indeed the 12 other volunteers, and the adorable children at the CCIs developed slowly but steadily, setting the tone for a wonderful interactional platform to follow. A platform that helped the children, from difficult and vulnerable backgrounds, to come out of their shells, overcome their shackles and open up to complete strangers.
The journey
The colourful kaleidoscope of laughter, learnings and activities as it was, the Summer Camp was a fruition of a trail of collaborative interaction between the Department of Women and Child Welfare, government of Telengana and the Volunteer Action team at CRY.
During the COVID months, about three years ago, when the world was shut in solitary confinement, CRY had started an online volunteering programme with the department to involve children in Child Care Institutions in fun activity and learning sessions during the weekends. In over three months 16 such sessions were held across 30 CCIs and the response from the children was overwhelming.
The department was happy with the overall engagement and that led to the signing of the MoU to establish a joint on-ground volunteer programme, says Anupama Muhuri, General Manager, Volunteer Action, CRY.
The activities implemented with the approval of the Department in the summer camps at Yusufguda and Saidabad campuses were designed simple and fun, so as to arouse the interest and curiosity of the children. Children were encouraged to ask questions and queries were cleared in heart-to-heart talks.
If it were the children who laughed, learned and participated, it was also their young mentors who imbibed and realized, a lot. As 24-year-old Mounica, a chartered accountant by profession, recalls, she was initially sceptical about how well the children would open up to her as she had joined late. It didn’t take long for the initial hesitancy to turn into absolute joy! The children were actually looking forward to meeting her every Saturday!
The conversations
Every child is unique. In every child lies a hidden potential waiting to be tapped. And, every child, deep down, craves for interactions, a few smiling words of encouragement, a pat on the back for that beautiful drawing or a clap for that melodious song he or she has just shyly performed. They evolve with every new opportunity given, despite the stark adversities that surround them.
During a fun session at the Yousufguda CCI, a girl told Keerthi that she was sad. Sad, because she would not be able to attend these enjoyable weekend sessions anymore – she had been adopted and was about to leave the institute. She was regretting that she would miss out on these sessions of learning and laughter, conducted by individuals she hadn’t met ever till a few days ago.
Recalls Keerthi, “The girl was not happy with one of her own drawings. She said it was quite bad. To cheer her up, I said the drawing was indeed beautiful and that I wanted to keep it, as a gift from her. I will never ever forget the look on her face as she handed me the drawing. The love and respect that we received from the children during those sessions is a whole lot more than what I had expected to learn from my volunteering stint, in every which way.”
So, what was it that made the volunteers mingle with the children instantly? Wherein did lie the magic wand? “We started off with open-minded and creative icebreakers where the children got to know us better. To put the children at ease and make them less self-conscious, we hosted simple activities to make them think creatively,” says Mugdha (22), who works at Invesco. “One day, we gave them paper and crayons and told them to draw/write a thing of their liking/choice. Many of the children attempted to draw their best friends. Some of them put down their best friends’ names. My heart skipped a beat when I found that one of the kids had written down my name – Mugdha.”
Vishnu Vardhan, a BA-LLB student, was overwhelmed when one of the boys at the Saidabad came up to him and said that he should always keep smiling and never be sad! From a young boy at a child care institution, a simple advice that carries the biggest lesson in life!
The Impact
Mr Nageshwar, Superintendent at the Saidabad campus, is happy that the camp activities gave the children a much-needed platform to express themselves and unleash their talent. “The CRY volunteers were quick to identify the children’s potential and helped them work on it. That was the best part,” he said. At the Yusufguda campus, Superintendent Ms Sofiya praised the young team of volunteers for successfully bonding with her children and encouraging them and motivating them every step of the way. She wants such sessions to happen in the near future.
“It’s wonderful to be a part of a journey that makes us feel responsible for the well-being and joy of the children. On the face of it, the summer camp was a melting point of emotions, ideas, thoughts and learning experiences, and which ended with a colourful kaleidoscope of song, dance, activities, story-telling and more. But we firmly realize and believe that these seemingly little sessions will stay on in the hearts and minds of not only the children for sure, but the volunteers as well,” points out Anupama.
In a world often marred by challenges and uncertainties, the commitment of these volunteers to bring happiness and hope into the lives of children serves as a shining example of the goodness that can be found within our communities. Their dedication reminds us that by coming together, we can create a brighter future for all, one child at a time.
