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Santa's little helpers
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Christmas is not the season for spoiling children. It is when they need to be taught the value of giving, believes Mafalda Quadros, who is trying to spread the true spirit of the season among little ones.
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THIS IS the season when everyone is busy shopping, baking Christmas cakes, and making wine. Well, who has the time to spare a thought for those who can't afford to join in the festivities? Mafalda Quadros does. A warm and enthusiastic woman, she has taken the initiative to awaken the Santa in all of us - especially little children, who are spoilt rotten during the Christmas season.
Charity, of course, began at home. She wanted to instil the true Christmas spirit in her son and so, right from the age of three, he was encouraged to put away a small portion of his sweets and goodies to be given away to those less privileged than himself. He had a separate box - "sacrifice box" was what he called it - for this.
Now, over 1,000 children in various schools will be doing the same this Christmas, thanks to Ms. Quadros's larger initiative.
Intent on spreading the spirit she had instilled in her son to all other children around her, she approached schools, NGOs, and corporate companies all over Bangalore, urging them to help. Many parents were initially apprehensive, not sure if the idea was genuine. But soon, children and parents began to take keen interest. A number of montessori schools and primary schools have already included themselves in this movement. Many children are, surprisingly, ready to share what they are most possessive about - candies and knick-knacks. Corporate houses pitched in by providing boxes and other material.
"It isn't too difficult for an adult or a teenager to dole out a few rupees for the needy. And when young children themselves get involved in the spirit of giving and set aside a small part of the gifts they receive, no matter how small the sacrifice, the gesture is genuine," says Ms. Quadros. She recalls one of her trips to a playhome where the children enthusiastically thought up creative ways of decorating their "sacrifice boxes". And one child got up to ask: "Aunty, I have only one chocolate, can I share that too?" Says Ms. Quadros: "Children are aware of what belongs to them, but when they choose to share it with others, a strong foundation of values is built."
With many people calling from outside Bangalore, asking if they could be part of the movement, Ms. Quadros plans to soon introduce the concept of "sacrifice boxes" in Mumbai, Chennai, and Pune. Well, one could say that she is trying to live upto her name - her first name, incidentally, means "lover of the poor".
Those who want to be part of the true spirit of the season can call Ms. Quadros 5476847.
SOMIKA BASU
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