Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care, under its Environmental Care Programme, organised a collaborative event bringing together over 200 children from the remote Turtuk village in Ladakh and those from slums in the Mumbai suburb of Chembur for a day woven with play, learning, and a purpose.
The day unfolded with an introduction to Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care, followed by dance and games that dissolved barriers of geography and language. Children assembled solar lamps – understanding not just how light is generated, but what it means to build and care for something of their own. They also crafted eco-friendly stationery kits from recycled and sustainable materials, including newspaper pencils embedded with plantable capsules, metal sharpeners, wooden scales made from architectural waste and jute pouches.
For several of the slum children of Mumbai, where space is limited and opportunities scarce, the gathering opened a window of possibility. For the Ladakh students – accustomed only to intermittent hydropower electricity – the idea of a dependable light source carried deeper meaning. They also carried this precious learning back to their village, wherein they will train others as well.
In a similar activity, solar lamps and eco-friendly kits made during the Global Youth Festival 2025 in Mumbai, were distributed in the forest settlements within the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, touching over 600 lives. A visit to these homes revealed the quiet hardship of living without reliable electricity. Families residing in protected forest zones cannot access conventional power due to the risk of forest fires, compelling them to complete daily tasks before sunset.
The solar lamps offered a simple yet transformative solution. Children can now study after dusk, households can manage essential chores, and families feel a renewed sense of safety and ease. More than lighting homes, the initiative ignited hope—deepening our commitment to pursue sustainable, meaningful change with greater sincerity and care.