Kids' NGO turns 10

In 2013, Bengaluru-based A Little Dream (ALD) held its first day-long art camp at an orphanage. The NGO, started by former IT professional, Reena Chowdhury, turned 10 last month.

Reena was moved by a need to provide orphaned children something more than just food and shelter. “When there are 30-40 kids in one home, it’s not easy to offer anything more than the basics. But kids need exposure to art, craft and culture. It adds some element of normalcy to their lives,” says Reena. 

Health camps 

What started off as art camps, evolved to include dental camps, toy drives, and numerous other activities, not just at orphanages but also in slums and hospitals’ children’s wards. Reena recalls one instance of a kid who drew a picture of Ganesha. “He said he chose to go with that image because Ganesha gets whatever he wants,” she shares. She believes that giving them tools for expressing their creativity helps in developing a well-rounded personality.

“Their emotional baggage prevents them from thinking beyond the basics. It’s important to nurture their creative side,” she adds. 

ALD has worked with 42 orphanages till date, and Reena states that the aim of subsequent camps arose out of what she observed at the initially held art camps.

Creating memories

Through their ‘Celebration camps’, ALD celebrates all festivals from Diwali to Christmas with the inhabitants of the homes. There are also ‘Delight’ camps, through which they take the kids out for pizza, burgers, musical programmes and movies, to help them have regular childhood experiences.

“There was one kid, with a terminal illness, who had never had a birthday party. So we hosted a party for him at the hospital room where he was admitted. He died a few days later. But the party brought him so much happiness and now his parents have some positive memories,” she recalls. 

The camps and other activities are held twice a month, usually during the weekends. ALD has a core team of 12 members and is backed by a group of 74 volunteers, primarily from the IT sector. Apart from IT professionals, ALD also receives pro bono support from teachers, storytellers, musicians and dancers. Depending on the scale of the project they often reach out to the public for more volunteers.