Children’s Day Celebration

Panjim and Ponda came together to celebrate children’s day with the stunning event held on 14^th November earlier this month. I have been working with children for a long time now with various events having been organised by our organisation, the Goa ForGiving trust.

We have done various workshops and events in schools, colleges as well as slums because we believe that, unless we energise the youth of our state and drive them in the right direction, all development that we talk of will be infructuous.

Adarsh Toraskar and I are old friends, a relationship that started with him joining my company in his first job some 15 years ago, when he was a young lad in his teens. So, when we met up quite by chance a few days prior to the 14^th, it sparked upon us that we need to do something for the bright kids of Goa. Quick deliberations followed, and we decided to have an event that would bring kids together.

The event was held at Vithal Rakumai Hall in Ponda with the participation of more than 100 children along with their parents. Games, a painting competition, a magic show by Shweta Patil and many other fun activities were organized, where the kids danced and sang their hearts out. The guests present at the event were Dr. Aaron Soares, Mrs. Vasanti Shenvi, John Desa, Mahindra Jadav, Niraj Dhamaskar, Vasant Kamat and Mansi Shet.

Dr. Aaron Soares, a well-known doctor from Ponda, who left his family holiday to be with the kids said a few words to the children and their parents present there. He stressed on the importance of healthy and hygienic food habits, and outdoor activities for kids while cutting down on screen time.

As the organizer, I was asked to speak a few words to the gathering. I quoted Tom Nettles, “The child is the father of the man”. Children are born pure, and it is the responsibility of every parent to nurture and instill the right values in every child from a very young age.

It was so delightful to have Amit Palekar, who drove all the way from Panjim with his daughter to be a part of this celebration.  My kids Liam and Stellan too enjoyed being among all the lovely kids and danced along with them.

We, at Goa ForGiving Trust honoured Mrs. Vasanti Shenvi and Adarsh Toraskar for their selfless contribution to society. Mrs. Shenvi has been tirelessly working towards women empowerment for the last 35 years, including providing jobs for women; whereas Adarsh Toraskar was honoured for helping people in distress during the Covid 19 crisis, in rebuilding homes of people, working towards the betterment of the underprivileged section of society, empowering women and a lot more. The awards were presented to the two of them by John Desa, trustee of Goa ForGiving Trust along with two kids.

We plan to have yearlong events for children to inspire and motivate them, as the future of our country belongs to our kids.

The event was organized by Goa ForGiving in association with the dynamic social activist Adarsh Toraskar, who ably managed the proceedings.

Text: Armando Gonsalves