Mumbai, 21 December: Over 900 children from disadvantaged communities in Mumbai had a special treat at Jio Presents Hamleys Wonderland™ for a day of excitement, joy and inspiration through stories. Facilitating the children’s activities and volunteering at the venue, was Ms Isha Ambani who joined Reliance employee volunteers in cheering the children through the fun-filled events of the day that culminated with a storytelling session. The event with children marks over 75 days of Reliance Foundation’s ‘We Care, We Volunteer - Kahani Kala Khushi’, campaign where over 1,200 Reliance employees volunteered have engaged 16,000 underprivileged children from across 25 cities of India through storytelling and art.  

“The festive season is synonymous for all of us with spreading cheer among children. This year too, our colleagues from the Reliance family across India have been volunteering and sharing this joy with thousands of children by bringing to life the folktale culture of our beautiful country. We are encouraging children to express themselves creatively through stories and art. The excitement we saw among children across the country and here today was so infectious that it spurs us to continue this spirit of volunteering and inspire them to learn more, read more in an enjoyable atmosphere,” said Ms Isha Ambani. 

Reliance Foundation has been dedicatedly spreading joy among children from disadvantaged communities around this time of the year for over a decade now. This year, ‘We Care, We Volunteer – Kahani Kala Khushi’ has been an intensive effort to combine storytelling, culture and art for the children that the Foundation supports through numerous organisations. It was held in 25 cities, including Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Delhi, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Mumbai. 

Volunteers engaged children by telling age appropriate stories that helped them imaginatively discover India and creatively express their ideas, through art, up on being motivated by these stories. The stories covered festivals, folk and tribal stories and the stories had origins in their states. As the campaign aims to sustain their interest in art, art kits and material along with story books were also provided to the children.  

The storytelling continued for children at Jio Presents Hamleys Wonderland on Thursday, and all the children indulged in fun-filled extravaganza with attractions including Ferris Wonder Eye, arcade games, carousel, WonderTheatre and much more. 

The ‘We Care, We Volunteer’ – Kahani Kala Khushi campaign is a continuation of Reliance Foundation’s sustained Education and Sports for All (ESA) programme. Through ESA, Reliance Foundation has supported children’s aspirations through various education and sports initiatives in collaboration with NGOs as part of continued efforts to inspire children.