As evident in the pictures, some kids from low income families and those connected with them through Dream School Foundation (DSF) celebrated on November 14, this year. (Actually, since I began voluntarily tutoring teenagers, I’ve been enjoying the day more than I did as a child!)

                                                      A graceful Ranjita

DSF co-founder Maitreyee and

volunteer Desingh with the day’s

best science team!

According to some government school students, their institutions are observing Children’s Day only today. Everyone hopes that they did, as these kids and their families rarely have something to cheer about.

I learnt recently that this entire week is dedicated to children worldwide, commemorating 20 years of the United Nations Convention on Rights of the Child (CRC) adopted on November 20, 1989 and November 19 is the World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse. INSA-India, a Bangalore based NGO which runs Jeevan Amulya, an interesting and effective government approved child and adolescent development program for high school students shared this READY RECKNONER ON CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE.

Ironically, the best resolutions/declarations, recommendations, laws et al are inadequate to fulfill children’s few fundamental needs if we adults do not recognize them all as equal human beings first. I have tried to illustrate our continued and collective failure to do the latter in many cases, as below.

                             Enjoying his work?

Bare feet!

                                                        Where homeless kids play…