Children have many things to learn besides how to read and write. Nai Disha Educational and Cultural Society in New Delhi believes in helping underprivileged children learn skills to prepare them for life. LDS Charities, the Humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints agrees and provided help to the children of Nai Disha. It all began with a puppet show.
Elder and Sister Slocombe, senior missionaries for the Church from Canada, enjoyed giving puppet shows to the children in New Delhi. They shared their talent and stories with the students of Nai Disha and discovered the good works being done there. Soon LDS Charities was involved and determined how they could help the students. The older children needed to learn a skill besides education that could help them become self reliant. Learning to cook using an oven was a skill that is not learned in the homes of under privileged children since ovens are not available. Providing the equipment for a kitchen was the answer.
- Meditating
- Setting up
- Sister Slocombe
- Puppets
- More meditating
- Playing chess
- More chess
- Embroidery work
- Boy stitching
- Stitching together
- Paintiing hands
- Boys with hands
- Elder Evensen
- Molding clay.
- Women
- students
- Plaque
- Poster
- Everyone
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Nai Disha works to provide underprivileged children the opportunity to become independent and responsible citizens by adding to their education the learning of values and principles. The children attend government schools and then attend Nai Disha to bridge the gaps in their education. Remedial programs, mentoring and counseling that highlight the importance of education in dealing with life as well as preparing them for jobs are all part of the curriculum. The students were given a fully equipped kitchen including two ovens, a cook top, mixers, mixing and serving bowls, cooking pans and trays, utensils and much more. In addition, 50 school desks and mats for children to sit on were also donated.
At the closing ceremony of the project, the students of the cooking class served fresh, hot-from-the-oven muffins to show their newly developed skills.
“Society can progress only when the marginalized are healthy, educated and independent, and can make informed choices about their lives.” LDS Charities and Nai Disha are helping to make this happen.