Making time for others

While most of the children living in the country have their families with them, good clothes to wear, nice places to go to and most importantly, a nice home to live in, there are many children in different parts of the world who don’t have access to all of these amenities. I have had the opportunity to observe such children at close quarters by visiting the St. Philomena Little Boy’s Home every year in my native place, Mysore, India. This is an institution that houses boys who are either orphaned or come from families without sufficient income to take care of them. I visit this place every year when I go to India.

There are children here between the ages of five and 12, from different parts of South India. This time, I organised many fun activities for them. I taught them some songs, and I was surprised to see how talented they were and how quickly they picked up the songs. Next, I organised an art competition for them. Finally, I conducted a quiz contest for them.

I gave them prizes as rewards for winning and for participating. They played with all their heart. As a final gift to them, I donated a collection of books. I spoke to them about the importance of reading and how it can make you aware of what’s happening around the world. I also donated some amount from my pocket money for the purchase of a new set of uniforms for these children. On the whole I spent some worthwhile time with them and I look forward to visiting them again.

■ The reader is a resident of Dubai.