Support orphaned children at our Sunshine Homes

Hello all,

Love and Greetings from Sunshine Homes!

I am Isha. I am 13 years old and currently staying at one of the Sunshine Homes run by Udayan Care in Faridabad. I am delighted to connect with you and share updates about the fun that I and the other children of Sunshine Homes had during the last few months, by engaging in various activities and sessions. Before going forward, I would like to introduce myself!

It’s important for me to share my story because I have achieved a lot of things, big or small, since I became a member of Sunshine home, Faridabad. I’m voicing my story with people so that children from humble backgrounds, who are devoid of basic necessities, even a family, get help to reach out for their right to celebrate their childhood, with proper care and education.

In 2019, I came to Udayan Care along with my younger sister, Shivi. I was only 10 years old while my younger sister was 8 years old when I came to Sunshine home in Faridabad. This was after our parents left me and my sister to be taken care by our maternal grandmother. My grandmother was growing old and due to the financial constraints, she couldn’t look after us for long. My younger sister and I were deeply affected when we were cut off by our parents which affected our overall development, it took away the charm from our childhood. However, the stars aligned for us when we become a part of Sunshine Home in Faridabad. The care and support provided to us by our lovely Sunshine Home family added colors to our life.

My family at the Sunshine Home gave me so much love and care that it strengthened my well-being and I was able to build a better version of me. The love & affection of the Mentor Parents and the staff at the Ghar did not, even for a moment made me feel alone.

I along with my sister soon started going to school after a long break. I got the opportunity to learn new things and made so many new friends! Along with educational development, I honed my extra-curricular skills by taking part in the activities that were organized at the Sunshine Home as well as the school. Over the years, I have developed a confidence in my capabilities which gave me the courage to dream about a vivid future! All the members at my Sunshine home, especially the staff put in relentless efforts over the years to enable me to do my best in order to achieve my aims.

Today, as I strengthened my academic base, this academic year, I became a part of one of the most prestigious boarding schools in India that is not only known for its academic curricula but also has a wide range of extra-curricular activities ranging from swimming, horse riding among others. I always look for opportunities to get exposed to new and different experiences which help me develop my personality. A plethora of opportunities have opened up for me and going forward, I’m so excited to know what’s in store for me!

Well, that’s all about myself. Children like me, can touch the sky if they are provided the support and love needed to flourish. I hope my story raise awareness among the masses about children like me and I really wish more and more people support children without family care.

Now, let me take you through some of the fun and learning engagements that took place at Sunshine Homes –

adidas-Udayan Care Virtual Winter Carnival

Keeping up the spirit of oneness and being together even in the tough times is what defined "Umang - adidas-Udayan Care Winter Carnival 2022". The virtual event on 21^st February 2022, consisted of children grooving to their favourite songs and preparing fun advertisements. The event was filled with fun with the mind- blowing magic show, zumba and interesting energisers. Sparky dance performances and creatively amusing AdMad acts put together by the children and staff of Sunshine Homes, added zest to the carnival. Over 250 kids and youth, 100 staff members and mentor parents, volunteers from adidas India team and numerous guests came together to enjoy the day filled with fun and excitement.

Women’s Day Celebration

On the occasion of Women's Day, the children of Sunshine homes celebrated the achievements of women. Stories of various successful women who fought patriarchy in various ways- culturally, politically, socially- were presented to the children, while discussing the significance of Women’s Day. The children expressed gratitude to all women who take care of children and resonated that the carers are Pillars of Strength. The children prepared a skit, had a dance performance and prepared cards for all.

Setting up Upcycled Edible Gardens at Sunshine Homes

With an initiative towards environment sustainability which would children closer to nature by inculcating a sense of ownership and responsibility, team adidas and Udayan Care have come together to build upcycled edible gardens at Udayan Ghars. The upcycled edible garden means a garden which has been set up using waste material such as bottles, tyres, drums etc. to grow vegetables, fruits or other edible plants within a confined or limited area. In association with Ashim, an environmental consultant, children were sensitised on Upcycled Edible Gardens and set them up in their Sunshine Homes.

Trip to Agra and Bharatpur

In the month of March, children of Sunshine Home in Faridabad, went for a 3-day fun-filled trip to Agra and Bharatpur. The marvelous Taj Mahal and Agra Fort were visited. We enjoyed this educational visit, as a guide explained them the history and some interesting facts related to the Taj Mahal as well as the Fort. After spending the night at an aesthetic and peaceful hotel in Bharatpur, the following morning, we visited Keoladeo National Park, where we saw many species of migratory land and water birds. We also learned the names and nature of the birds they saw, with the help of a guide. Visit to this ‘Bird Paradise’ was a unique experience for us, as we had never witnessed anything like this before. After returning from the park, Holi was celebrated at the hotel with vibrant colours and playful shenanigans, this was the first time that we celebrated a festival outside the home, since the pandemic. The trip was truly wholesome in every aspect!

Holi Celebration

From tainting each other’s cheeks with colours to relishing sweets together, the festival of Holi is celebrated with exuberance, every year. The festival of colours always brings joy to the children. Celebrating Holi in the true spirit, this time it was even more colourful with everyone coming together to play with natural colours and enjoying a special meal.

Earth Day Celebration

On the occasion of Earth Day, officials from MG Motors visited Boys Sunshine Home, Gurugram. The day was marked special as MG Motors officials brought various saplings for the children to celebrate Earth Day by planting them together. All the children along with the staff representatives and MG Motors officials planted the outdoor plants in the open ground available in the home. During the plantation drive, the officials got to know the children better as they worked together to do their bit towards long-term ecological sustainability. The interaction also touched upon the need to preserve earth and cherish the beauty of Mother Nature. This synergy to make the home greener was captured in vivid photos.

Trip to Golden Temple

A city with historical significance, Amritsar is one city of India which attracts many worldwide. After the long time spent indoors due to the Pandemic, in April, children from the Greater Noida Sunshine Home went for a one-day trip to Amritsar where they witnessed the sanctimonious Golden Temple and also got a chance to be at one of borders of India taking them through the stories of Partition. The children enjoyed the trip and came back with a bag full of knowledge.

Art Workshops by ArtReach India Foundation

Art is the expression of the mind and translating this expression on paper is the essence of the workshops by Artreach India Foundation. These workshops facilitate catharsis with colors, for the children. Children across the Sunshine Homes engaged in creating masterpieces while experimenting with collages, abstract art and portraits.

This was a peek into the fun and learning engagements during the past few months. After two years into the pandemic, two years of not being able to go for an outing, children of many Sunshine Homes were able to go out on much-needed rejuvenating trips/outings during the reporting period. In a way, these jaunts lauded our resilience and patience, which helped us overcome various unfamiliar challenges that came our way, over the past two years. Settling into the ‘new normal’ has made me appreciate relentless efforts of Udayan Ghar Family and support from like-minded people/organizations, to provide us with the best healthcare, education and support, all the more.

This is all what I had to share on behalf of the children and team at Sunshine Homes. With this, I thank GlobalGiving and the associated donors for their sustained support which has helped us to continue to flourish in our Sunshine Home family.

Hoping to connect again.

Thank you! 

Isha

Love and Greetings from Sunshine Homes!

Hello friends! This is Ravinder, once again. I hope you all are doing well.

It seems like the third wave of COVID pandemic is all set to roll in. I, children and team at Sunshine Homes pray for everyone’s safety and wish you all a good health.

We had gradually adapted to the New Normal long back and it has helped us to continue to work effectively towards providing care, protection and education to children in Sunshine Homes. During the period Oct-Dec’21 a total of 70 new children came to Homes. A total of 72 children moved out of the Ghars out which 59 were rehabilitated or restored to their immediate or extended family and 13 were transferred to other child care institutions. As on 31^st Dec’21, 198 children lived across 17 Sunshine Homes.

Though the pandemic situation and the no. of COVID cases diluted gradually after the second wave, the risk of catching the infection and fear of having an outbreak situation at Ghars kept us gripped all the time. There has been a continuous and conscious effort to keep the children and residential caregiving teams safe at Sunshine Homes. Refresher sessions to maintain and follow COVID appropriate behaviour at the Homes were regularly conducted with children and staff. Systems for preventing and managing the COVID infection were further strengthened. By the end of Dec’21 over 250 alumni, aftercare youth and team members were partially or fully vaccinated.

As the COVID variant, Omicron, started to spread and a surge rise in the number of cases were reported in India especially in Delhi, the centralized COVID Response team at Sunshine Homes got into action. Complete halt on visit to Sunshine Homes by non-residential staff members, stocking up of ration, medicines and other essentials, refresher session on prevention and management of COVID, monitoring of daily vitals (temperature and oxygen level) etc. was all set in place. Simultaneously, the team also worked towards getting the children, in the age group of 15-18 years, vaccinated.

During the period we have also been able to organize various capacity building workshops for all our stakeholders and engaged the children in many fun and learning activities. Let’s have a look at some of the activities we did during the reporting period –

Virtual Gandhiji Celebration

The second in our Series of Inspiring Idols, Virtual Gandhi celebrations were in full swing on 2^nd October 2021. The series put together by children, marking the 152^nd Birth Anniversary, took us on a journey of Gandhiji while revisiting some of the core values that we all aspire to imbibe in our life. The day gave an opportunity to honour and felicitate stakeholders who have been our guiding light as a support to us over the years. The children were highly appreciated by all present for their creative expression.

Diwali Celebration with team Taco Bell, India

Diwali this time got an exciting start where the team from Taco Bell joined in with children through a virtual celebration. With an inaugural speech by Kiran, the children soon got into a fervor of activities. From rangoli making to dance moves, children were seen to be decorating the Homes in their favorite colors and also putting diyas and lights making it an extravagant celebration.

Diwali Celebration across Sunshine Homes

Decorating with fairy lights and lighting the oil lamps, Sunshine Homes this Diwali were illuminated with a positive energy of a hopeful tomorrow. With the pandemic bringing in long periods of indoor time, during Diwali, children got to meet the Mentor Parents and other dear ones. Moreover, Diwali also brought in lots of exciting decorations made as part of “Best out of Waste” along with relishing traditional sweets. All the children at their respective Sunshine Homes also offered prayers, expressing gratitude for a healthy life and the continuity of a safe future ahead.

Virtual Children’s Day Celebrations

On 14^th November 2021, Children’s Day celebration was at its peak with children and staff immersing in a joyful time together. From grooving to the sounds of music, to revisiting the journey of Nehru, learning from the anecdotes about his love for children, the day was filled with inspiration. Extending heartiest gratitude to our esteemed donors, children presented “Thank You Messages” to all recognizing the bond built over the years and sending across the message of being one big family. The Children’s Day could not have been done in a better way where we acknowledged the support of donors who have stood by children as pillars of strength over the years.

Let’s be kids again; Virtual Children’s Day celebration with team Adidas

Children’s Day was made even more special when team Adidas brought in surprises for the children. An online event was conducted by Adidas with an exciting quiz competition, curiosity raising scavenger hunt and a creative spree of “recreating a scene”. The event closed with one of the favourite activities, the cookery competition where children with available groceries at the Homes prepared mouth-watering dishes relished as snacks during the event. The event also brought in exciting prizes, best wishes and an experience of being a master chef.

Christmas Celebration

Commemorating the birth of Jesus, this time children across Sunshine Homes, left no stone unturned to celebrate Christmas with full zeal. The generosity of donors brought to children a Christmas tree of their own to decorate along with a Santa costume to create an ambience of the festivity. Decorating the tree with knick-knacks, dressing up Santa sharing thoughtful messages, the gifts under the tree added to the surprise. The messages reflected oneness, gratitude and the greatest of all, cherishing the family bond.

Art Workshops by ArtReach India Foundation

Art as an expression of the thoughts in the mind, always have encouraged children to share their feelings and emotions. This time, the drawings made by children reflected the current situation along with imagining a better tomorrow. From drawing fairies to the animated version of the corona virus, children’s expression had no bounds when they picked up their favorite colors to draw.

Parakram Celebration

The children and team at Sunshine Homes went on to celebrate Parakram on 23^rd January’22. The 123^rd birth anniversary of Bose was celebrated with children reciting poems penned by themselves, presenting group dance and singing patriotic songs. The children and team also shared some unknown facts about Netaji.

Impact story

Missing girl reunites with family after 3 years

While struggling to remember her way to her home, her family, child Tamanna went missing at the tender age of 8 years. She travelled and continued to wander on the streets until the local police in a colony near Ghaziabad rescued her and produced her at the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Ghaziabad. Since no whereabouts of her family or home could be found, Tamanna was transferred to a children’s Home in Ghaziabad itself. She was then transferred to Udayan Ghar, Ghaziabad in May 2019.

Tamanna while being at the Ghar was provided with much needed care, affection and opportunities to grow and develop. She was enrolled in a school for the first time where she was helped to strengthen her academic base. Observed soon was her improved social skills and she started to adapt well in the Ghar environment. But deep down, for her knowing that she has a family who she cannot find and meet again, left a void. Tamanna often used to cry missing her mother and her gentle and affectionate touch.

During a casual interaction with the social worker, Tamanna once mentioned about studying in a Madarsa while she lived with her family. When further explored, the child also shared some of her vague memories and named some locations. It was the turning point for both Tamanna and the social worker and soon the Ghar team got into action. Collaborating with the local childline team and taking along the child, the ghar team started to visit different spots mentioned by her. The teams also visited the spot from where the child was rescued and enquired in every single Madarsa in the Colony but nothing substantial could be found. Upon asking the locals, the team got to know that the place she has mentioned is in Meerut. The team got in touch with childline team and some local people in Meerut and within a couple weeks, arrived a news of her family getting traced. Connected over a video call, Tamanna broke in tears recognizing her mother and finally it was in October 2021, almost after 3 years, that the child reunited with her family.

Tamanna is now happily living with her family in Meerut and wish Tamanna and her family the best of joy and prosperity.

So friends, this is all what I had to share on behalf of the children and team at Sunshine Homes. With this, I thank GlobalGiving and the associated donors for their sustained support which has helped us to continue to provide care and protection to children and youth at our Sunshine Homes.

Hoping to connect again.

Regards,

Ravinder