Close to 350 children under the care of five NGOs across the city had a field day at the Royal Orchid, off Old Airport Road on Saturday. In addition to the thrill of spending half a day at a five star hotel, the children also got Christmas gifts of their choice.
The second edition of Make a Wish, a kids carnival was organised by Expat Life India, a group that aims to make relocation easier for expats.
A special lunch serving ‘delicacies’ like french fries, cupcakes, ice creams, cotton candy, popcorn and more was a big hit among the kids. Each child had a sponsor who became his/her Santa for the day: the sponsors, part of Expat Life, bought the children gifts that they has specifically asked for.
“The whole process took about three months,” said Cecilia, one of the sponsors, and added, “The children were given chits on which they wrote down what they would like as gifts.”
For class seven student Zubin Dhawan, who was at the event with his mother and sister, sponsoring other people his age was a fulfilling experience. “I think I know how they feel, so when I’m part of something like this, I feel good inside,” said the young Australian national who takes part in community service from his school as well.
The children were from Sahasra Deepika, Bluebell School (Building Blocks), Jeevarathni, Grace Fellowship Charitable Trust and Baale Mane. Lunch was followed by fun games and a magic show, which had the kids rolling with laughter.
As the time for gift giving drew closer, the audience was treated to a Kamsale performance, a folk dance of Karnataka, by a group of girls from Baale Mane.
Speaking to City Express, founder of Expat Life Ema Trinidad said, “Everyone wants to gift children what they like, no one bothers asking them what they want. What they want can actually be very simple - a pair of skinny jeans, a red ruffle top or other things like that.”
British Deputy High Commissioner, Bangalore, Ian Felton and his wife Judith Fair Bairn, who sponsored 10 kids, were also present at the event.