It was a pleasing sight on Friday to witness 66 street children, accompanied by the District Collector and other officials at the Gwalior fair. The children enjoyed the visit, gazing at the stalls selling local produce and crafts.
The children were from the Pagnavasi School, a boarding school aimed at training street children for a better life.
The school provides free boarding and lodging apart from imparting knowledge and training to underprivileged children who were earlier forced to work in hazardous environment to meet their basic needs.
The children’s tour to the Gwalior fair was arranged by Rahul Jain, the District Collector in collaboration with the Department of Happiness, Government of Madhya Pradesh and the Gwalior Trade Fair Authority.
While the Collector and the other officials played the part of guardians the children enjoyed themselves at the Children’s section riding toy trains, swings, merry go round and boat rides.
They also visited the ‘well of death’, Appu Ghar and the circus. later on a restaurant at the fair premises provided the children with sweets, ice creams and cool drinks.
The Collector also enlightened the children with a brief history of the fair.
Talking to the media in the evening Anil Rawath and Ethel Jatav, two of the fortunate children said that today was the happiest day in their lives.
When asked about their future plans they said that they want to study hard so that their future will be secure.
Apart from the collector, the ADM Shivraj Varma, Satya Prakash Sharma and the staff of the Pagnavasi School accompanied the children.