Last week was world environment week and in site of the scorching heat, children of all centres of Project Why celebrated environment in their own special way. Drawing competitions were held in all centres and children shared their vision on how to save the environment.

Workshops on the Dead River Project were held at our Khader and Yamuna centres to talk about the  road ahead for India in terms of sustainability and conservation of water and create awareness about the condition of river bodies and what we can do to save them. The children were very attentive and committed to do their bit to save water.

On June 8th and workshop on pollution and a small plantation drive was held at our Govindpuri Centre by the PwC Foundation. The PwC team talked to the children about all forms of pollution: air, water, noise, land etc. Children shared their views and ways to combat the pollution menace. It was a fun filled session with a lot of interactive activities. Children sang and danced and shared their dreams for the future. Some children wanted to join the army or the police; others wanted to be doctors and teachers and yet other dreamt of being cricketers! When quizzed about cricked they were spot on!

But the most touching dreams were those of some of our special children. Geetu who has recently been appointed as a teacher’s aide wants to become a ‘Ma’am’ like all her teachers, Shalini who is also a teacher’s  aide is happy continuing what she is doing now and Ritu wants to be Bharatnatyam teacher like her mother.

All the children then participated in the plantation  drive filling pots with earth and carefully placing the plants and then watering them. They all promised to look after the plants and invited the guests to come and visit again. The celebration ended with a distribution of cool lassi and bananas and of course  chocolates. In spite of the terrible heat everyone had a great time.

We are grateful to Sourabh Sengupta from the Dead River Project and to Jaivir Singh and the PwC Foundation for having chosen Project Why to come and celebrate Environment Week.