Summary
Shishu Mela, the flagship event of the college at its grounds, was attended by 650 children coming from weak financial backgrounds
Children were in awe as they entered through the gates of St Xavier’s College (Autonomous) on Sunday.
The kids were surprised after being greeted by undergraduate students and led onto the premises for a day of fun and games.
Shishu Mela, the flagship event of the college at its grounds, was attended by 650 children coming from weak financial backgrounds.
A group of kids with special needs were also among those who where invited to the event.
The children hopped from one stall to another set up by the college students.
A queue had formed at the tumble tosser. Looking at the stall, a nine-year-old boy asked: “Do we have to pay for this?”
Free access to a tumble tosser is beyond his imagination.
The objective of the day-long event was not only to give the children some fun
time but also to create aspirations in them and motivate them to move out of their limiting situations.
“There are many students who are academically bright but cannot afford a good education. It is our responsibility to reach out to them. As a college we can waive off fees of such children who deserve to be here,” said Father Dominic Savio, principal of the
college.
“We have seen students from financially weak backgrounds who have made it to the Park Street and Raghabpur campuses,” he said.
On Sunday he told the children who came from 13 NGOs and four villages adopted by the college that they should come to St Xavier’s College for higher studies.
The children responded with a resounding “yes”.
The seeds of aspiration were sown in the heart of a Madhyamik examinee Raj Sardar. The son of a domestic help said he has asked his mother to send him to St Xavier’s College when Metro spoke to him on Monday.
He lives in a South 24-Parganas village.
“The college students were courteous to us and made us feel important. There were so many children there but yet there was so much discipline,” said Raj.
Students from 17 undergraduate departments had set up stalls for the children, including for those with special needs.
The carnival stands as a testament to the bond shared between young college students and the children who came from struggling backgrounds.
The Shishu Mela with the theme “From Playgrounds to Planets — The Future
Guardians,” was organised by the social work department of the college under the NSS (National Service Scheme) project.
Throughout the year students of the college go to the villages for volunteer work and the children are brought to the college once a year.
“Such initiatives help to motivate our students to be more sensitive and caring. It is to make them understand that there are a lot of children who do not have the bare minimum in life and that our students should value what they
have,” said Cheryl Francis, director of the social work department.
The carnival was inaugurated by the college principal in the presence of Vinay Kumar, the NSS regional director, ministry of youth affairs and sports, Debarati Das, deputy registrar and NSS programme coordinator, University of Calcutta.
Last updated on 13 Feb 2024
