Ray of Hope 2024

“In a world where you can be anything, Choose to be kind”

On 5th October 2024, the National Social Service (NSS) unit of The Bhawanipur Education Society College organised the latest edition of the “Ray Of Hope” for the children of shelter homes and NGOs from morning 10:00 A.M. to afternoon 2:00 PM in the 4A Campus, which was transformed into a jungle book by the Art in Me Collective. Their artistic prowess adorned the entrance and surroundings with flawless decorations such as hand-drawn replicas of beloved cartoons and quirky selfie booths. The occasion brought together underprivileged children, accompanied by the dedicated team from Humanity for U and Me (HUM), a youth-based nonprofit organisation. HUM’s mission of providing food, education (Jugnu), and employment (Kiran) to those in need; has already reconstructed a collapsed building, where they now teach students from Nursery to Middle School. Over 100 children from nearby slums near Park Circus and Nonadanga participated in this day of joy.

The children were provided breakfast once they arrived and lunch before they left. It was like a small fair for children where they were given Bhawanipur currencies using which they “purchased” clothes, toys, stationeries, and accessories and played a lot of games. They were free to visit the stalls of their choice and were given shopping bags in which they kept their purchases. They all had an equal amount of Rs. 500 with them, and the prices of each cloth or accessory as well as the prices of the game counters were told to them. Every NSS volunteer present there helped the children purchase items and also took care of the children’s needs such as providing them with water or accompanying them to the washroom.

Each game stall had different gifts like chocolates, biscuits and toys. Children who won a game received the gifts. This made them happy and seeing them smile brought joy to everyone present. After 12:00 P.M., the volunteers were asked to close the stalls, to begin with the closing ceremony before which, a performance by the children was carried out where they showcased their talents in front of the whole crowd. They danced, sang and acted beautifully, earning appreciation from the audience while they received their gifts. After their performance, students of BESC showcased one last dance routine before the Rector and Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Dilip Shah shared his thoughts about the event. Prof. Gargi, Coordinator of NSS, concluded the closing ceremony by thanking the event’s sponsors whose contributions made this event a success. In the end, “Ray of Hope” wasn’t just an event; it was a tapestry woven with threads of creativity, joy, and unity. Small gestures, like brushstrokes on a canvas, had created something beautiful, i.e., a memory etched in the hearts of all who were fortunate enough to be part of it.

REPORTER – Kshitisha Singh
PHOTOGRAPHER – Sanika Shaw