THE RESORT HOTEL REACHES OUT TO UNDERPRIVILEGED KIDS

by Suman Gupta

The Resort Hotel, Mumbai, found an innovative way to celebrate Martyr’s Day on 30 January. Their team went out to the Sneha Sagar Ashram at Marve Road, Malad, and interacted with the 22 children housed there.

The children, aged between four and fifteen years, are all from underprivileged backgrounds. They are mostly orphans and are cared for by the sisters of the Sneha Sagar Society. The sisters provide them with basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and education. The mission of the society is to take care of the poor and needy.

For the first time, the kids were introduced to a concept that they had never come across in their cloistered existence: capacity building. They were taught the art of unique Ukrainian embroidery by expert Mrs. Avani Kotwal. They were encouraged to practice their newly acquired skill in their spare time, with the dream of being able to make a profession out of it — with honesty and perseverance. Those who preferred other vocations could still pursue the art of embroidery as a hobby.

Mr Satyajit Kotwal, General Manager, Resort Hotel, said, “Kids brought up in a home such as Sneha Sagar are well cared for and provided with all their basic needs. But it is rare for them to be exposed to creative hobbies that add value to their lives. This is what we attempted to do on 30 January. We felt we must move beyond the customary two minutes’ silence that we are used to observing as a mark of respect to the Father of the Nation. We are thankful to the sisters of Sneha Sagar Ashram for providing us with the facilities to conduct this CSR activity.”

The youngsters were visibly thrilled with the chance to experiment by creating patterns on fabric with various coloured skeins and needles. With very little access to mainstream education, they enjoyed the opportunity to express themselves through this brief art workshop.

The Sneha Sagar Society was founded by Reverend Sister Martha Mondol. It is a registered charity, currently run by the Helpers of Jesus Sisters. It was founded in Mumbai on 29 August 1999.