Liza Rani Behera (14), of Mumtaz Ali School, Dunduma, could barely manage to sleep for the last two nights. Tossing and turning in her bed for the umpteenth time, her mind wavered on the thoughts of flying high in the sky like a bird. She was one among the lucky 37 students to make it to the “Fantasy Flight” programme organized by Bhubaneswar chapter of Round Table.
“Last year, my friend had flown to Hyderabad and she had told me numerous tales about the aircraft and the new city. Since then, I had been waiting to sit in the airplane and fly high. I am delighted that my dreams have finally come true,” she says.
Similarly, Suren Kumar Jaisingh (13) is equally thrilled as he stands in the queue with his schoolmates eagerly waiting to board the aircraft. “I am both excited and nervous. All this time, I had only seen photos of airplanes, but to get a first-hand experience of flying was unbelievable,” he exclaims.
Every year, Bhubaneswar Round Table, through its community service programme, takes underprivileged children for a to-and-fro flight trip to an Indian city. In the past, the kids have flown to Hyderabad, Kolkata and New Delhi. This year on June 2, BRT in collaboration with partners and Indigo airlines, flew 37 children to Visakhapatnam.
“With the Fantasy Flight initiative, we try to bring about a change in the lives of underprivileged children by giving them an experience of a lifetime. Our main aim is to bring a smile on their faces,” says Abhishek Gupta, Chairman, BRT.
But it is not just the children who are inspired; it is a learning process for the organizers as well. “When the kids fly in the aircraft, they feel like being on top of the world. They develop a confidence and are motivated to do well in life. After returning, they keep writing letters to us saying how much they enjoyed the trip and want more such opportunities. These letters in turn, inspires all of us to carry on with the good work. So, it is a two-way process,” says Kabir Taneja, member, BRT.
On their trip to Vizag, the children were taken on a city tour where they visited an amusement park and submarine museum. They stayed for a day and returned on June 3.
“BRT is doing a great job. I am happy that our children get to fly in an aircraft which would otherwise have been impossible,” says Mohammad Zafar, teacher at Mumtaz Ali school, who accompanied the children to Vizag.