A Healthy Child is a Happy Child, and we at Ekam Foundation choose to practise this daily!
We as a child help foundation in Mumbai have been working in the country for more than eighteen states supporting children in their health and education well-being. The Annual event by Ekam was conducted on 3rd December 2022 at Ravindra Natya Mandir, Dadar, Prabhadevi – Mumbai was more like a festival for the whole team, the little children, and the people who graced Ekam with their presence on this day.
Little Giggles was specially organized for all the little children who have been supported by Ekam medically, financially, and for education as well. Being an NGO for child education and support, we believe the event was a successful one as its was graced by the presence of the: Ekam lead Team, trustees, hospital doctors, and medical social workers along with people who were supported for surgeries and education-related issues in Mumbai. The objective of the event was to share happiness and a stress-free time for the children and their families who underwent a challenging medical journey.
First, the chief guests, hospital representatives, children, and their families were welcomed on a very warm note by Aditi Kothari, Head of Operations for Ekam. Then, the event began with lighting the lamp by :
- Ameeta Chatterjee, Trustee of Ekam Foundation Mumbai
- Dr. Vasanta Nair (National Medical Director),
- Kajal Thadani (President of the Rotary Club), and
- Dr. Sujata Sharma (Hematology and Oncology Department of LTMG Hospital).
This was followed by the chief guest – Kajal Thadani’s inspiring speech that conveyed thoughts like,
We should give gratitude to God, who provided limitless beauty and love. Never complain about what we do not have; always pay gratitude for what we have.’
Dr. Sujata Sharma from LTMG hospital also expressed her thoughts, saying that her hospital gets generous financial assistance from the Ekam Foundation for BMT and other illnesses for patients, which is extremely beneficial, especially for children with cancer, since the cost of cancer treatment is expensive even in the government hospitals and is not affordable.
Following the talks, there were games, a Charlie Chaplin show, and a magic performance by Rakesh and his group. Girls who were assisted by Ekam and its staff did two lovely dancing sets. The event’s fun atmosphere, music, and anchoring were all well received by the audience.
After a break, Priya, the senior programme associate for Ekam, assisted Ameeta Chatterjee, the founding member of Ekam, in presenting flowers and a memento to the chief guest, Mrs. Thadani, and Doctor Sujata. The entire crowd in the auditorium was proud of and moved to witness the Ekam pillars on stage, who tirelessly strive for the organisation out of pure love and concern for the future of children in India and beyond.
Soon after, the founder, Ameeta Chatterjee, gave a speech in which she shared her priceless vision for Ekam in the coming years. She gracefully spoke about her sensitivity, her ambitious plan and passion for Ekam, and the value of mankind. She emphasized the need for more compassion and support for the socially underprivileged. She helped the families with utmost care and concern over any child’s schooling, medical conditions, or well-being. She attempted to listen to any difficulty they discussed with her. Ameeta Chatterjee and Dr. Vasantha Nair interacted with donors, the hospital’s medical social workers, beneficiaries, and their parents too. They were able to respond to a few inquiries about Ekam and their 10-year adventure. After finishing her speech, Dr. Vasantha Nair advised the kids, “After you recover from illness, you must pursue your academic interests and make your future bright, and you should also be aiding people in need.”
The anchor gave a vote of thanks to all the participants and attendees followed by a round of refreshments. The Ekam team along with Deepika, Jessica, and Ashwini helped with registration, and Shailendra, Jayesh, and Tandel arranged all logistics. This day ended not only with gifts but also with faces full of smiles, giggles, laughter, overwhelmed hearts, and teary eyes.
