A casual glance in the office of Muskan Foundation office these days would seem to be like a repair workshop with volunteers working on fixing zippers, buttons on the clothes and packing them in boxes after ironing them but this is just a pre-preparation for helping some have-nots of the society. Collecting from the affluent families and giving back to the underprivileged section of the society has been the way of work for this organisation located in Vishnu Garden in Haridwar and as a motivation drive for educating the children of the labourers.
Unlike the legendary outlaw in English folklore who is said to have robbed from the rich and given to the poor, the foundation appeals through social media and the volunteers go and collect the woolens in winters from different residential colonies in the city area. A day is decided when all the givers and takers gather at one place. On Wednesday, clothes and woolens were distributed to families of leprosy afflicted patients at Divya Prem Sewa Mission and the children from neighbouring slum colony were given clothes with a promise to come to school.
Discussing the philosophy behind gifting children on a condition to study, the founder member of the social organisation Neha Malik said, “We have been distributing old clothes and woollies every year to the underprivileged. People are so happy after sharing their useless things with the underprivileged with their own hands and bringing smiles to their faces. But it was realised that children of the labourers do not go to school so we lure them by announcing prizes and giving them clothes collected from the society. The children have eventually started coming to Anganwadi centres nearby.” Celebrating birthdays of these children is another way we motivating them to government school.