21st Wish for the Children of Prayas

Hey AWESOME beings who took time off to visit this page! Please bear with me a little longer as I explain what this initiative is all about. Thank you!

Before anything, I want to thank my amazing friend Rizwana for this really inspiring idea. Never would have thought of it on my own. (:

Just a brief intro, Prayas Vidyalaya is a school located in a slum community in Noida, New Delhi. In December last year, I was blessed with the crazy opportunity to be part of a volunteer project, RockNoida alongside 16 fantastic peers from NUS. We partnered with a volunteer organization AID-Noida and they are the reason why the kids in Prayas can now get education. (Do Google them if you wish to know more :D) 

Over at Prayas, I met the most innocent, yet mature kids one could encounter. They welcomed us into the comfort of their homes and loved us endlessly. We taught them academics, but these kids taught me life lessons instead. Lessons that I could have never learnt in the comfort of my own home and environment. We learnt more from them than they from us. They showed me how to be content with life, and how easily happiness comes. Their joy was definitely contagious, trust me on that. Most of all, they reminded me that I am blessed for all that I have been given. What a meaningless gift it would be if I do not pay it forward and pass it on to the ones who weren't as priviledged?

And so, I decided to start this fundraiser. I cannot think of a better way to celebrate my grand (official) entrance into adulthood than to do something that is close to my heart. My birthday fundraiser's main purpose is to raise sufficient funds for the school's refurbishment (in terms of carpets as they now sit on the ground throughout, bookshelves and shoe racks - all of which are currently lacking) and to purchase school uniforms and stationery for nearly 110 kids before the start of a New Year. This is all with the fervent hope that it makes a difference and the school is more conducive for the students' learning. 

It's been almost a year since RockNoida '13, but the kids there have impacted me in a way that they will forever hold a place in my heart. I still share their stories till today. Help me in this journey to fulfill their needs. If you have gotten this far, that itself is truly a statement of how awesome you are! So perhaps, take that one more step and donate to this cause or simply spread the word.

I assure you that every contribution of yours will go a long way. The kids at Prayas are praying. Be an answer to their prayers. May God Bless.