Daan Utsav: A Look Inside India’s Biggest Giving Festival
Daan Utsav was previously known as The Joy of Giving Week. The Joy of Giving Week (JGW) is a "philanthropic festival" that aims to become a part of the Indian ethos, with the Week being celebrated every year around Gandhi Jayanti by engaging people through "acts of giving" - money, time, resources, and skills - spanning the corporate, NGO, and government sectors, schools, colleges, and the general public.
CEOs, teachers, construction workers, children, senior citizens, and others from all walks of life gather during this time to give back to the society that has supported them for so long. The 'daan' can take any form, including time, money, resources, or skills. People participate in this event through small gestures such as providing a home-cooked meal to a homeless person, as well as larger gestures such as donation drives and community kitchen programmes. In this way, the spirit of community harmony is strengthened, and assistance is extended to those in need.
A giving event can be as simple as a family inviting their family helper's children to an ice cream party, or as large as a 'Gift Compassion' event. Every year, over 10,000 schoolchildren from across India make and exchange gifts with their peers from various socioeconomic backgrounds.
Millions of people participated in over 1,500 events in 200 cities across the country in 2016, raising several tens of crores in monetary and material donations and countless volunteer hours.
Daan Utsav is a time when people from all walks of life come together to help those in need and make a big difference in their lives by performing small acts of kindness.
What Child Help Foundation has been doing to celebrate ‘Daan Utsav’?
Child Help Foundation (CHF) has been an avid participant in the Daan Utsav for several years now. This year too, Child Help Foundation organized the Daan Utsav in Mumbai and the Northeastern regions of India. Last year in 2021 from 2nd to 8th October CHF celebrated Daan Utsav and rightfully upheld the spirit of aid and compassion. In the northeast regions, Child Help Foundation took the Daan Utsav to schools and educational institutions.
Child Help Foundation distributed stationery items such as pencils, pens, and notebooks to students in the schools, along with sanitary napkins for female students. In keeping with the right spirit of humanity and compassion, volunteer workers of Child Help Foundation also fed food to the stray animals on the streets of towns and villages. The event was received well and stood firm on the ideals of the Daan Utsav.
Simultaneously, during the same week, Child Help Foundation also organized Daan Utsav in Mumbai and neighboring districts. Child Help Foundation volunteers indulged in several events such as distributing fruits and vegetables to the needy, awareness sessions on menstruation for young girls, and many more. Coloring books and crayons were distributed to the children of cobbler community, along with donations made to old age homes and educational institutions in the form of instant water heaters, books, pens, etc. a special event was organized by Child Help Foundation, honoring the workers of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and domestic workers for their relentless work. They were given caps and medals as tokens of appreciation and safety equipment for making their work easier.
This year in 2022 Child Help Foundation, celebrated the giving week by distributing 200 stationery kits to children across Maharashtra. To promote sustainability paper bags were distributed to local vendors and shopkeepers, these paper bags were made by children from Ashram Shala’s and local MBMC schools.
Child Help Foundation also distributed Bananas and Jaggery to the cows in Hanuman Seva Trust, Malad. This act held a special meaning for us, because of we also wanted to pay our respects towards animals on the occasion of World Animal Day on 4th October. Donating for the animals made us feel a sense of fulfilment, by which, we understood that no matter how far one comes in life, we should always be grateful towards each and every living being.
Child Help Foundation is proud to be able to help and give back to the community that has nurtured and sustained everyone for many years. While a week seems short to express our gratitude to society, Child Help Foundation will continue working for the good of the people.
Source - https://childhelpfoundation.in/cii-blog/posts/Daan-Utsav-A-Look-Inside-Indias-Biggest-Giving-Festival
References
https://daanutsav.org/
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/daan-utsav-2022-indias-biggest-festival-of-giving-to-be-celebrated-from-october-2-to-8/articleshow/94595248.cms
