SPREADING A SMILE
Everyone keeps complaining about how tough and challenging their life is. How they can never get what they want to have which is mostly materialistic and unnecessary. Have you ever thought like this? I bet everyone would have but my view changed when I came across orphans, mentally retarded children, small kids who don’t have places to live and beg and have a death mark on their life so early. All these people want is the most basic right to have a normal life and kids don’t even think about this. This is modesty in its purest form. This takes me back to a serene and beautiful place.
Snehasadhan is one such place located in the borders of Mangalore. It was originally a place opened by the Camillians mainly for HIV/AIDS people and to create a safe haven for them. It was supported by the Rotary Club of Mangalore. Here nurses, volunteers, therapists, counselors help to boost the confidence and dignity of the people and encourage them to join society. Later this place included orphans and vulnerable children too. This place is on top of a hill and has a beautiful view which overlooks the greenery and rocks beneath. 
My college’s event Direction in Society for Human Awareness (DISHA) took place on October 2nd here. We were shown around the place by the person in charge and we could see the kids peeping innocently at us. I hosted the show since there was no one else who knew “kannada”. The kids who were earlier reluctant to approach us now welcomed us with eager anticipation when we announced a drawing competition. 
We supplied them with papers and colour pencils and with amazing efficiency they set on to unleash their skills. Other volunteers moved around helping the kids and socializing with them by asking me words in kannada to talk to.It was hilarious as the kids ended up teaching kannada to the volunteers! The judges had a really difficult time choosing the best 3 drawings given the amount of enthusiasm every child had unleashed on the papers. 
Next we had a small show for the kids which started with an invocation and a show put on by the juniors. The kids enjoyed the songs and some came up to dance too. Later Kannada songs were put on and the kids had a grand time dancing to their favourite songs. All the kids were given Colgate toothbrushes and toothpastes and the winners got their prizes. A special treat was provided to the kids for tea with samosas and cakes. It was hard to part with the kids as some of us had bonded really well. More harder to believe was the fact that these kids had been doomed with HIV though they were exceptionally normal. Altogether, it was a well spent Gandhi Jayanti with lots of laughter and fun while successfully spreading a smile to the kids and conveying the message of DISHA. This experience taught me to be happy with whatever God has blessed me with and I would encourage others to acknowledge this too.
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