An emotional homecoming a reunion of the past and the present
Dressed up for the first DCH alumni meet, their twinkling eyes reflected their achievements and dreams they have for their future. Out of respect they touched the feet of Mr. T K Mathew – the man who strived for changing their lives. Mrs. Mohammedi, Chairperson, Child Welfare Committee was moved by the warm gesture.
It was the last day of October. Cool breeze was blowing, indicating the onset of winter. Twenty Alumni including Alumni of Deepalaya Children Home on their first Alumnie meeta girl came back to their alma mater for revisiting the good old days, the days of self-transformation and enlightenment. It was a proud moment for Mr. T K Mathew to see these children in an entirely different avtar. They were so meticulous about their appearance unlike the day when they were brought from the Okhla Mandi, railway stations and other places.
Dressed up for the first DCH alumni meet, their twinkling eyes reflected their achievements and dreams they have for their future. Out of respect they touched the feet of Mr. T K Mathew – the man who strived for changing their lives. Mrs. Mohammedi, Chairperson, Child Welfare Committee was moved by the warm gesture.
Mr. John Rameson welcomed the guests and then recited how Jitendra traced the old students through facebook and talked to everyone personally and convinced them for this Alumni meet. After the welcome speech, students put up a scintillating Mr. TK Mathew CE of Deepalaya motivating alumni and inmates of Childrens Homedance performance. Thereafter, everyone came up stage to introduce themselves. Everyone had their own story to tell – the kind of circumstances they came from, intervention from Deepalaya, their transformation and their present. They may not be very well off but they are self-reliant and looking after their families, something we are proud of.
Thereafter, Mrs. Mohammedi addressed the gathering. She was moved by the role Deepalaya played in changing the lives of children. She recited the story of Dhiru Bhai Ambani to encourage the children. When Mr. Mathew was invited to say a few words, he gave a rGirls of Children's Home performing an award winning dance for alumni meetiddle to the children to guess the dialogue of a very famous film actor to express happiness. After a few hints, children were able to guess Amrish Puri’s dialogue from Mr. India “Mogambo Kush Hua”. This was his way of expressing his happiness. Everyone became very emotional as he recited how these children were brought from different places from difficult circumstances, enrolled in Sanjay Colony, then to Swagat Kendra and finally transferred to Gusbethi, where they were educated, given food and shelter and an environment to nurture them.
Towards the end of the program, girls gave a stunning dance performance on the Bollywood number Jai Deva Shri Ganesha, which won prize from District Education Department.
Who could have imagined that the alumni would oneAlumni of Deepalaya Children's Home with the staff, C.E. and representatives from CWC day sponsor a special meal for the inmates of DCH. Yes, the lunch never seemed as tasty as it was that day, as it took years for such a lunch to be served and savored by all. Even though the event came to an end, the alumni stayed back for some more time for video documentation and for playing volleyball and cricket matches. The day gave a high hope for the present in-mates. For it showed they could do more than just survive. They can build a successful future.
About the Author
Ravi Pahuja
Noida
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