Ananya Orphanage Visit

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the
light. – Albus Dumbledore”

On a regular Sunday evening, XIMB students in collaboration with SRC boarded the bus to
visit Ananya Orphanage. We had never visited the orphanage before and had no idea what
was in store for us.

On reaching the orphanage we were welcomed by 46 little girls staring at us with innocent
yet hopeful eyes. The girls were a little hesitant in the beginning wondering whether they
could trust us. To break the ice we engaged them in cultural activities where we were
delighted to see them dance and sing their heart out. We took a little break and distributed
cakes and chocolates among the girls. It moved us to see how excitedly and gratefully they
accepted the snacks. We then proceeded with the drawing competition. “Wow so manyyyy
colors”, exclaimed one of the little girls. At that moment we were so happy to know that we
were able to add a little color to their lives. We were amazed by the creativity portrayed on
the canvas. Mountains, blue skies, pretty houses, flowers and so much more….. “I hope to
one day stay in a pretty house across the mountain,” said one of them as she dreamily
painted the house on paper. We were all speechless for a second and helped us
acknowledge the privileges we are blessed with. It was finally time to go back. And as we
were about to leave, they surrounded us pleading with us not to go. With welled-up eyes,
they questioned us, “Why do the people we love always leave us, even our family did so?
Please promise us you will come back to visit us.” At that moment we couldn’t help
ourselves but break down. With so many privileges, we are still always complaining and
unsatisfied. But looking at the children at Ananya, we understood how beautiful life can be
if we start finding joy in little things.
There are so many children across the country with immense talent and potential but they
lack the resources and opportunities to build on the same. With the help of Project Roshni,
we hope to bring light into their lives and connect them with opportunities that can shape
their lives.