Pune organizations provide Diwali celebrations for orphaned and street children

Three organizations in Pune, India, organized Diwali celebrations for children in care homes and on the streets to ensure they experience the festival's traditions.

Prajakta Doiphode and the Love Care Share Foundation visited Mamta Bal Sadan in Saswad, a home for orphaned girls. The volunteers helped the girls paint and light diyas, create miniature forts, and make rangolis and faral, a traditional festive snack.

The facility also operates a bakery that helps the children and the organization sustain themselves by selling these snacks. At the Manvya Gokul Project in Bhugaon, volunteers and children living with HIV participated in festive activities. Tejas Desale, a volunteer, said the children participated in building forts from mud and stones and making rangolis. The project focuses on including these children in the celebration to ensure they feel accepted despite their health challenges.

The JanSeva Foundation held festivities in the Katraj area for street children and those at its rehabilitation center. The organization distributed new clothes, shoes, jerseys, sweets, and decorations like Akash Kandils. Dr Vinod Shah, the founder of the JanSeva Foundation, stated that the organization aims to provide consistent care and happiness to these children throughout the year rather than only on special occasions.