On February 7, 2016, Sunday, the students of SVNIT, Surat organised a festival celebrating the joy of giving. Dumb and deaf, disabled, and orphaned children were invited to our college and we spent the day in taking care of, playing with and imparting joy to them.

Zealous volunteers decorated the auditorium called ‘staff club’, and the garden around it during the morning hours. The event commenced at about 9:00AM when the children were provided with breakfast. Several activities were planned thereafter, to entertain and interact with the kids. A drawing competition followed where the volunteers encouraged the children to draw and interacted with them cheerfully. A magic show was also organised to entertain the kids with the tricks and funny behaviour of the magician. His puppet monkey attracted all eyes in the room. The children also painted a wall using impressions of their palms.

Later, the volunteers accompanied the children to the garden outside where a number of games were set up for them to play. An inflated play pool was also placed in which the kids had fun jumping about. Every kid wanted to sit in a train going round in a circle. Other games included smashing glass tower, pinning the tail of animal shaped cutouts while blindfolded, hoops and cricket.

Lunch followed in an orderly manner in the college canteen which is normally closed on Sundays but operated for the kids on the occasion of joyfest.

Post lunch, a singing performance was arranged and the children were cheered to dance along.To mark the end of the day, all the kids were given gifts comprising of a quilt, schoolbags and crayons. It was heartwarming to witness and be a part of such a joyful event.

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