It was either the 5h or 6th of February, for which we had planned the competition. The previous day, Karishma and Pradeep had talked to the authorities of the nearby Chilla Public School and got the keys for the next day. Harshita, Sharmi and their friends had labeled and gift wrapped one clothe, along with a woolen cap in every gift. There were nearly 75 gifts we had prepared to give away.
We had decided that it will be a post lunch activity. The ones living in the chandigarh campus reached Mohali by 12:30 pm, had lunch and started preparing for the drawing competition. The people active at that time were Abhilasha, Anshu, Anuj, Dilraj, Harshita, Sharmi, Pradeep, Karishma, Mehreen, Kapil, Hitesh, Manish and me. Some others were attracted by the hustle-bustle of the kids, but they just hung by to see what was happening.
The duly wrapped gifts were stuffed into a store room. We went to call the kids from their homes. The cold was biting, no one wanted to come out of their homes. We persuaded them by telling that if they won the competition, they would get prizes. On the first go, not many came- there must have been about 30 kids, which included some really small ones who could barely walk. So we started with them. We gave them the stuff they would need for drawing- we sat down with them and helped the really small ones draw something. Everyone was busy, either sharpening a pencil, searching for some colour, or simply tending to a kid. It was a good environment and we were really enjoying ourselves.
After some fifteen minutes, when some four year old got restless, we decided that we should let him go. So Harshita wrote down his name and gave away a shiny, blue gift. He had come with his father and two other siblings. And so, the man went back with his three children, all with gifts.
The next fifteen minutes saw order. And then, chaos broke loose. The reason was palpable. Those gifts had attracted attention of other workers. They got the idea that something was being given away. And so, they came with their kids to collect their "share". The YATN people had to spring to their heels to manage the kids, and more so, their parents. This was something that would obviously happen- but we were unprepared. Some wrapped more gifts while others tried to contain the chaos. In another one hour, all the kids had drawn as they wanted and got their "prizes". By the end, we had give away some 110 gifts. Even when the goal was achieved, the purpose was defeated.
We had decided that it will be a post lunch activity. The ones living in the chandigarh campus reached Mohali by 12:30 pm, had lunch and started preparing for the drawing competition. The people active at that time were Abhilasha, Anshu, Anuj, Dilraj, Harshita, Sharmi, Pradeep, Karishma, Mehreen, Kapil, Hitesh, Manish and me. Some others were attracted by the hustle-bustle of the kids, but they just hung by to see what was happening.
The duly wrapped gifts were stuffed into a store room. We went to call the kids from their homes. The cold was biting, no one wanted to come out of their homes. We persuaded them by telling that if they won the competition, they would get prizes. On the first go, not many came- there must have been about 30 kids, which included some really small ones who could barely walk. So we started with them. We gave them the stuff they would need for drawing- we sat down with them and helped the really small ones draw something. Everyone was busy, either sharpening a pencil, searching for some colour, or simply tending to a kid. It was a good environment and we were really enjoying ourselves.
After some fifteen minutes, when some four year old got restless, we decided that we should let him go. So Harshita wrote down his name and gave away a shiny, blue gift. He had come with his father and two other siblings. And so, the man went back with his three children, all with gifts.
The next fifteen minutes saw order. And then, chaos broke loose. The reason was palpable. Those gifts had attracted attention of other workers. They got the idea that something was being given away. And so, they came with their kids to collect their "share". The YATN people had to spring to their heels to manage the kids, and more so, their parents. This was something that would obviously happen- but we were unprepared. Some wrapped more gifts while others tried to contain the chaos. In another one hour, all the kids had drawn as they wanted and got their "prizes". By the end, we had give away some 110 gifts. Even when the goal was achieved, the purpose was defeated.
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