This Hyderabad school raised Rs 38 Lakh from their philanthropic carnival to feed 200 kids

There are many kinds of carnivals that schools and colleges organise but have you ever heard of a philanthropic carnival? Titled INSIGNIA, this a one-of-a-kind carnival is being organised by the Indus International School, Hyderabad for some time now. "When one says the word 'carnival', it is usually considered to be fun, but has no other larger purpose. We wanted children to think of something which is larger than them,"  says the Principal Nuwaira Pasha. Several students, right from nursery to Class XII are involved with this carnival.  

Scenes from the carnival | (Pic: Indus International School)

 

Forging forward
When INSIGNIA was conducted for the first time, students managed to raise Rs 90,000. The second time and third time around it was Rs 4 lakh and Rs 18 lakh respectively. But this time, they have managed to raise a whopping Rs 38 lakh and all these funds will be invested in expanding their common kitchen so that they can feed as many as 200 malnourished children in villages like Kondakal, Thanda and Mokila around the school. They are currently feeding 60 children.

"With the guidance offered by the school, we learnt to work in a team, coordinate and shoulder responsibilities," Smriti Marar, student of class XI and the head girl  

Organised on November 27, 2019, INSIGNIA saw as many as 50 stalls set up by children. From games to food — a lot of variety could be spotted. Thai and Korean food were the popular hotspots and so were the photobooths. The students organised a concert as well. The proceeds earned from the stalls were directed towards expanding their common kitchen. "It is the culture and philosophy of our school that we encourage children to be involved with the community around them. It is not just about educating yourself, we must give back to the society too," says Nuwaira Pasha. The students and staff of the school had already taken the initiative to teach children of migrant labourers who resided around the school. Students of Indus would develop a lesson plan and every day, visit the surrounding areas and educate them for two hours. Looking at their effort, a government school nearby offered admission to the underprivileged children.

Students at the carnival | (Pic: Indus International School)

No stopping them now
This year, with the objective of countering malnourishment in children, students will prepare food for the community children every day. "And the vegetables will be sourced from the organic farm we have on the premises," says the principal. So, what's next for them? "That, our children will decide, but all we can say is that our philanthropic efforts are not going to stop," she says.