Orphanages wait for kindness of strangers to have a blast

It was an excited bunch of children that poured out of Steps Home in Padi on Monday as Diwali came a day early for the residents of the orphanage. One of the trustees had delivered boxes of crackers for them.
"For half an hour from 5.30pm, we had a blast," said Tara Manogoram, director, Steps. This year, Diwali has been good for the children as another well-wisher brought sweets and books.
In almost every household in Chennai, Diwali celebrations are meticulously planned weeks ahead, but it's a different story at the various children's homes and orphanages in the city. At the orphanages, Diwali celebrations depend entirely on the goodwill of well-wishers.
"When people ask us what we are doing for Diwali, we tell them we do not know," said K Baskaran, who heads Good Life Centre, a home for orphans in West Tambaram. "We have prepared a special feast for the children, but apart from that we just have to wait and see," he said.
As of Monday, the home had received just one box of crackers. "We have to wait till Tuesday to find out what is in store for us this Diwali." This year, thanks to the efforts of some voluntary organisations, celebrations have started at some homes in the city. Chennai Volunteers (CV), which connects people wanting to do good with the do-gooders, has been holding a series of celebratory events at various homes all through November.
"We've been having events for both Children's Day and Diwali," said CV founder Rinku Mecheri. "It's about the spirit of celebration. We do not want to give it a religious meaning because our volunteers come from different faiths," she said. From a Diwali-themed festival at Madras Seva Sadan to a dance session at Little Angels to a charkha demo at Karpagavalli, the celebrations have been varied.
"The celebrations don't end on Diwali. We are going on till November 20," said Mecheri.