[slideshow]
“Remember those times, when you splashed buckets of rang chasing your friends and ran infinitely across streets just to take ‘the Gulal revenge’ on your sibling! What frolic and gaiety times they were… We definitely cherish our childhood and always yearned for our children at Protsahan to have wonderful memories of this colorful festival, Holi”
Protsahan’s children were thrilled when they got to know ‘didi’s and bhaiya’s’ (Accenture’s employees) will be marching down to their little school in Uttam Nagar on last Saturday evening (26th March 2011) with white charts, paints and lots of energy – to re-play Holi, the creative way. Thus started the idea of Great Wall Project Saturdays at Protsahan.
Together with the children, volunteers painted the classroom walls green and red, blue and yellow. Protsahan’s children unleashed their creative instincts, let hues chant the slogans of jubilance and saw the colors go swoosh on their walls! Children went wild with imagination and started painting parrots, yatches, bright yellow suns and not to forget the hand-marks.
What more, some children manifested the idea of “green art” using pencil scraps as a canvass to portray their thoughts; this got us to wonder how young and pure yet so conscious they were. We had the rare opportunity to glimpse at beautiful Madhubani paintings, perfect and so intricate. Protsahan had conducted Madhubani workshops sometime ago and the team was exhilarated to see their little ones learn a deal great from these sessions.
Saturday’s are always full of surprises, and to be honest we’ve never seen wider smiles on our children when they look at colors. We are much honored to have Accenture amongst us today. We saw Chhoti paint her heart out, she one of those kids who hardly speaks, she is a shy child who comes from troubled back-ground. Poonam, the yatch painter (see attached pictures) wanted to become a sailor one day. Kiran stood proud of her master-piece parrot with big wings!. The Accenture employees were so supportive and enthusiastic. In the end, they were smiling as much as our little Piccasoes!
Indeed, colors heal fears and bring much more than just smiles. The dream and infinite hope with which Protsahan had started 12 months ago has been transformed into a remarkable initiative thanks to such projects.
To the next generation, to Protsahan!
Wonderful to see the Children at Protsahan revelling in colour and art and expression; we too found them so enthusiastic and loving when Graham and I visited on 1st February this year. These children are representative of so many thousands in India who just need care and affection and security to achieve some of their great potential. On 12th April International Street Children Day was recognised here in the UK with The Telegraph making a huge feature which was connected to both Facebook and Twitter. When the world seems intent on spending money on foolish or shallow things it is wonderful to see little ones respond when given just a little help and encouragement. We must continue to do this.
Aline, ur encouragement & blessings encourage us on this path! good to know you. Lots of Respect and Love to you! – Sonal Kapoor