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Dare to dream in colour
More than 50 children gathered at the Hindi Bhawan in New Delhi to paint their dreams in a painting competition titled “Mera Sapna” organised by JK Tyre as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The participants in the age group of 6-14 years belonged to the underprivileged strata comprising children of truck owners from LCV unions spread across the country. The company organises painting competitions in different regions of the country and a
round 60 LCV unions participate in this initiative every year. The Delhi event saw a contest between more than 50 such regional winners. A.S. Mehta, Marketing and Sales Director of JK Tyre, said, “This is not a competition. This is just an opportunity where kids can hone their skills and we encourage their talent. This would help impart confidence to these children. It is our responsibility to do something for the society from which we receive so much.”
The participants were told to draw their dream of what they want to be in the future. Images of doctors, teachers, musicians, social workers, ballet dancers, engineers, businessmen, astronauts and everything that a young mind would desire to be filled the sheets. Twelve-year-old Bhagyashree from Nasik painted herself as Kiran Bedi. Ten-year-old Saurabh from Indore was busy giving shades to his sailor’s boat while 11-year-old Abhishek from Patna seemed occupied in drawing a studio of a cartoon director. There were a few moments of confusion at Hindi Bhawan because kids from non-Hindi speaking regions faced difficulty while trying to decipher the instructions delivered in Hindi. The first prize was bagged by 11-year-old Nisha from Gujarat, who painted a portrait of a teacher in a classroom. Laren, 12, from Cuttack won the 2nd prize after impressing the judges with his rendition of a guitarist. The third prize went to 11-year-old Anjitha from Kerala who had painted a child specialist doctor. The winners received gold medals and the participants were also called on the stage to be encouraged by thunderous applause and certificates. The company plans to introduce a career counselling programme next year to help these kids choose the right path. Mehta added, “We have organised health check-up camps for the children as well as their parents in the past. We also support their education by providing them with schoolbags apart from talent scholarships.” The participants and their parents also got to enjoy a free tour of the city sponsored by the company.
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The event was more than a painting competition, it inspired the kids to hone their talent.
Proud participants: At the competition