RE: Make A Difference Contest • Round #6
Thanks for coming back with my favorite contest. Though good deeds are very ordinary and simple, your appreciation makes them extraordinary.
My entry for Make A Difference Contest • Round #6
There is a slum near our house. About 10 families live there who are below poverty lines. Some drive rickshaws, some are the day labourer, some are the street hawker. Mothers also work in people's house to earn money. The children studied in the local government primary school. It is not that they are very interested in studies, sometimes they are given relief from the government, education in exchange for food and free camping from various NGOs. Apart from teaching, various rewards and necessary goods are provided for free.
One such event was organized from an NGO. It was an art competition and children are below 12 years can participate there. Each one will get one set of color pencil and 200 BDT cash. And the first, second and third will get 5000, 3000 and 2000 cash with a color pencil set. Though most of them are careless about studies, some of them are really talented. So I sometimes go there to get them involved to studies. In their school they are not learnt drawing. They started taking preparation for the competition. Some boys and girls came to me to show their art works. Some drew trees, houses and sky. Some sketched river and boat. But this was not upto mark. So I decided to teach them how to draw and color perfectly though I am not an artist and I hardly know about art.
There were 6 boys and 3 girls of various ages. But I know some others who didn’t come to me for the contest. So, I went to the slum to get to know about them. Then I came to know that they all have a common problem, they don’t have pencils, eraser, color pencils. And their parents don’t want them to participate because they cannot afford it.
Then I talked to their parents and told them that if I bought them the accessories would there be any problem. They said no, it’s ok. One of the mother cried out and said she wanted her child to be a participant and he had interest in drawing but because of money they were unable to fulfil his hobbies. So I bought them color pencils and saw some happy face full of innocence.
I gave them the attention to teach them perfectly. Because only 9 days were left for the competition. They were also doing their job perfectly.
Finally the competition date had arrived. I was not the contestant but I felt as excited as the little competitor. After finishing everyone was given some snacks. The result was announced later after 1 hour. Two of them got the first and third prize. Rest of them got a set of color pencil and a drawing book. Most interesting thing about them was they all were equally happy.
What I have done was a very small task. Anyone could have done this. But the thing ‘Happiness’ was felt loudly.