NGO’s gift to gypsy kids on Children’s Day

For the first time in their lives, they were invited as guests to the Children’s Day celebration organised by Eera Nenjam trust late in the evening on Sunday. They were presented with new dresses, toys and food as part of the entertainment session that went on for close to four hours at the Corporation Night Shelter at RS Puram. In addition to entertainment they were also motivated to go to school and work with an ambition. Most of them were engaged in seeking alms by inflicting injuries on themselves with blades and whips. 

Eera Nenjam managing trustee P Mahendiran said that they chose children of gypsies while there were many who organised such celebrations for underprivileged children at orphanages and schools. “It is a pain that the gypsy kids are completely neglected,” he said “Their parents explained their inability to send their wards to school as they were nomads for generations and that was one of the main reasons for them to resort to begging. They asked us to organise free tuition for their children,” Mahendran said, adding, “we will be honouring their request to bring the kids to the main stream.”