Santa’s super helpers

Over the years, Christmas may have become all about the glitzy gifts and the glitzier celebrations. But there are a few in the city who still adhere to what the true spirit of the festival is all about — the joy of giving to others of your time and effort. From an NGO (Make Love Not Scars) that is raising awareness about acid attack victims through a special Christmas carol to a swish city eateries that have teamed up with the Cuddles Foundation to ensure that a hearty X’mas meal reaches those less fortunate, from college students who're giving up the cash prizes they won at their annual fest for the benefit of underprivileged children, to a group of friends who're exchanging services towards charitable causes instead of posh gifts as part of their ‘Secret Santa’ ritual — these Mumbaikars have their hearts in the right place. And they’re making Christmas very special indeed with their thoughtful gestures this festive season.

Rajani Foundation: This NGO based in Vile Parle, decided to play Santa to a bunch of underprivileged children in Andheri who study under streetlights. “The idea was suggested by one of our youngest members, 18-year-old Sadaf Qureshi. On December 21, we organised a programme that started with a small story why Christmas is celebrated, which was followed by games and competitions. Then we distributed education supplies to the children. There were 30 children in all, from the slums and they study sitting on the streets. We wanted to redefine happiness for them by spreading some Christmas cheer,” says Aniket Salvi, founder.

Reshma Qureshi: An acid attack survivor Reshma Qureshi used the power of her voice to ask for one very important gift this Christmas — to put an end to the sale of acids to common people, who don’t have appropriate documentation. In association with an NGO Make Love Not Scars, she has managed to collect 2,80,000 signatures for her petition. Ria Sharma, the founder of the NGO says, “We started with the concept of shooting beauty tips videos with Reshma and shot about three of them, which garnered a lot of support. Our team of lawyers decided that we file a petition but just appealing to the Prime Minister to ban the sale of acid, won’t be of much help. So we decided to do something extra. Through this video we want to urge people to sign our petition, which we will be presenting before the Supreme Court in January. Reshma urges viewers to do something of grave importance by singing a Christmas carol, in time keeping with the occasion.”

Dr Namrata Bagaria, founder of the NGO Public Health Justice, has organised a Secret Santa initiative for underprivileged pre-school children, through Milaap, a crowd funding website. “I run an initiative called the Step 1 Balwadi which focuses on child development through the education for preschool kids. The idea came to me about two months ago, when I was thinking of coming up with an initiative that is interactive for the kids and one which engages the donors too,” she says.

She adds, “Secret Santa is so common these days, with people conducting it in their offices and among their friend circles. Even a college student could easily contribute a measly Rs 100 and help a child’s future. It is also at this time of the year that people choose to donate and since these kids are in pre-school, colouring and drawing is an important aspect. Individuals do not need to go to a far off village to donate, if they think that is a major hindrance.” Dr Bagaria says that she has observed a certain amount of reluctance among people to be a part of “cliché campaigns” but they want to help in some way. “I am hoping an initiative like this can foster friendships and connections irrespective of the social distinctions. So far, the response has been favourable. When the project went live for donations, within 20 minutes we got about Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000.\"

Jane D'Souza, a photographer from Goa decided that this Christmas would be all about giving. And she had a two-fold plan. In the first one, she organised a Secret Santa among her friends where each person as Santa, has to do one good deed each month in the coming year, something their recipient wants them to do. “My friends and I have been doing Secret Santa for as long as I can remember. Each year we wait till the last moment to buy presents. It dawned on me, that since we have so much, why not turn our yearly ritual and do something for someone who really needs it.” Explaining how it works, she adds, “For instance, I got someone who is very concerned with the way stray puppies keep dying due to accidents. So I volunteered to get one dog sterilised every month. Another friend offered to take roadside booksellers to events like the Lit Fest, which they would never have access to otherwise. Volunteering changes your life. Helping others is addictive.”

Her second initiative is a pop-up bazaar called the Yuletide Bazaar where she collaborated with three NGOs to put up a jumble sale. With help from friends who contribute handmade products such as candles, cards etc. Together they raised about Rs 10,000.