What do the children love doing the most and never ever get tired of? Nothing, but "play" gives them that absolute happiness!
Last year's Sports Day event was cherished by all the students and villagers as they kept seeking another such event throughout the year. We geared up, yet again for recreating the same magic with some additional surprises and an action-packed day scheduled for 19th Feb 2023.
Unlike any of the regular Sundays, when everyone prefers a satisfying meal and a snuggly corner, this Sunday was special. With the break of dawn, in the sunny morning of 19th Feb 2023, over 470 participants including over 170 kids from our ThinkCenters from all over Deogarh gathered together at the venue, our Jharagogua land. The young and energetic battalion was ready to give their best.
The day started as early as 4:00 am, as many of us traveled from Bhubaneswar and landed early at Tainsar, Deogarh. By 5:30 am, we could see the children and parents gathering around villages ready to be picked up as the event location was around 16km away across the Kailash Ghat. We started getting messages from other locations that the kids were ready there too. The atmosphere was filled with enthusiasm and excitement.
By 7:30 am our ground at the remote village of Jharagogua came alive with the sounds of cheers, whistles, and the thundering footsteps of children. It was our annual sports day. Slowly the audience, the participants, the volunteers, the mentors, the parents, and the villagers graced the land with their presence.
The festivity was on, there were balloons and sports day banners flying everywhere, designed and painted by our emerging young talents. Being mindful of our environment, we take every possible opportunity to learn and practice, we went with being "eco-friendly". The kids hand-painted all the banners on cotton canvas.
Meticulous planning had started by mid-Nov-2022 for an adventurous and memorable event. This time, we prepared ourselves well by keeping in mind last event's difficulties, learnings and shortcomings. We managed to get the cellphone network there, the cellular data, which helped us in our planning and coordination.
The agenda was captivating, comprising of twelve exciting and interesting games. Out of the many, there were some intriguing games like the ultimate fun "Hen Fight" (not the real hen, though), the reign of strength and muscle power "Tug of War", everyone's favorite "Sack & Three Legged Race", the mind and body balance game and not to forget the staple game in every event "The Musical chair". A day filled with fun, laughter, vigor, entertainment, cultural events adventure, and not to forget the delicious food.
Happiness is ...tied and tried
The day was not only about running, throwing, and tugging;but also had a lovely surprise, a handful of cultural activities which included dance performances and skit practiced and performed by the students. It was a feast for the eyes and a day to cherish for long.
A glimpse of flair and innocence- the future
This year the children and offline mentors, came up with something new and impressive for the audience. Newness! Who doesn't love surprises!! The cultural activities were an exemplary display of talent and a showcase of social awareness. The kids performed skits on Deforestation and Educational Awareness. How cutting trees is affecting the environment and their own lives and also the power of education, how education is transforming their personal lives. They portrayed their own difficulties, experiences, and solutions under the guidance of Santosh Sir and Anastasia Madam. There was dance, music and many more. It was an emotional and proud moment.
All the participants were encouraged and winners were recognized with rewards and certificates of merit and participation.
The finish line: Participation and Praise
To run the whole day event, there were arrangements for breakfast and lunch. Unlimited water too. For medical emergencies, an all-around First Aid Kit was readily available. The day ended on a cooler note where the kids could relish "the finger-licking ice-lollies", thoughtfully sponsored by one of the guests.
Where there is a will, there is a way!
An eventful day filled with chitters chatters, chirps, applauds, music, dance, cohesive learning, and memories forever, thus came to an end. We kept our promise - "recreated yet another nostalgic and remarkable day together as a family growing gradually". Together on a journey of creating endless good memories and our continuous efforts to make the whys and hows meet continues.!! Hurray!
Looking at the areas of interest of students and our growing family, henceforth we may call this an "Event of Sports and Culture". Besides, we may need to consider a multi-day event. Anyway, we have got a lot to think about and plan.
We will return with an even more exciting story, next year. - Stay tuned!
PART-B
For all those readers, who find pleasure in reading, please continue...
We have got some real adventure for you.
A) Why Sports & how is this related to "what we do"...
At EK ASHA, we believe in ensuring Holistic education for the needy. The teachings and the learnings are not all spoon-fed, but self-driven. Our approaches to building a better-transformed society are intentional.
While sports are not only about playing, winning, or losing but understanding the game; strategy, teamwork, synergy, participation, and sportsmanship spirit. Such events provide our students an opportunity to learn these fundamental qualities of life, which shall help them in shaping their future.
Winning is not everything. The joy of participation, the will to win, the desire to succeed, and the urge to reach your full potential are the keys to unlocking personal excellence.
B) Now, the adventure part... (a bit long but quite a dramatic experience)
Written By,
Bagmita Tripathy & Sambit Das