Never a dull moment

One of the joys of volunteering at DGS is the variety. You’re never quite sure what lies around the corner. On Wednesday it was the Christmas Party at the Family Welfare Centre, and what fun it was.

The place was already looking suitably festive, thanks to Munda’s one-woman mission to decorate the building with tinsel, crepe paper streamers, a proper Christmas tree and even a small manger. But when it came to her balwadi (pre-school) class, she really surpassed herself. The children were decked out in a variety of improvised costumes – a tea towel here, a cleverly arranged sari there – and had been transformed into an assortment of angels, wise men and shepherds, not forgetting Mary and Joseph.

After some last-minute cosmetic flourishes – cardboard wings, marker-pen moustaches and the like – the kids were off in a procession around the building, singing songs and bringing cheer to everyone they met. Sudesh came along too, sporting a cotton wool beard in his guise as Santa Claus.

Once the procession finished, it was time for to sit down for a few more songs before tucking into some festive treats. Children in the balwadis always receive a daily meal of dhal and rice as part of the programme, but since it was a special occasion they also enjoyed cakes, bananas and chocolate.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. Merry Christmas everyone.