We recently got some employees from a corporate to join us on a Nature Walk at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivali. These didis & bhaiyas (employee volunteers) who volunteered were more than excited to spend a day walking through the woods with some of the young minds from one of our programmes. The volunteers began with a little briefing and by serving breakfast to the children. The combination of the cool breeze and the chirping birds made for a very pleasant experience.
We took the Shilonda trail, lined with bamboo groves, termite mounds, Pongam Trees and a multitude of beautiful foliage. The trail even had a stream flowing through it, adding to its charm.The children seemed to think the stream was the best part of the trail! We had two nature guides accompanying the group, they shared facts about nature that intrigued the children & the employees. Every child was paired with an employee. The groups took advantage of multiple photo opportunities along the trail. The children enjoyed collecting stones and leaves as little memento on our way back.
This isn’t where the day ended though… To enhance the impact of this educational experience, we had arranged another activity for the kids. Post the nature walk, we took everyone to the auditorium at NIC where they made paper bags & painted diyas. We had even organized two caricature artists to create sketches for each child. The children were delighted to witness the cartoon versions of themselves. The day came to an end after a hearty and well deserved meal. The employees beamed with happiness, much like the children.
-Karen Raja
