The Day After Christmas
, Mapusa, Goa
Christmas Day was exhausting but there was still more work to do. Ishita who also helps street children made contact a couple of weeks ago and had organised a few bubble sticks to be added to the presents. Some of the families she helps sell cheap toys on the streets, and she purchased the bubbles from them to give to other children.
We had already given out the majority of the presents and only had a handful left so after waking up a little late we started setting out another 50 parcels. The spare room was once again turned into Santa's workshop, the floor had 25 pink and 25 silver bags laid out with the normal goodies placed on them. When Ishita arrived there were still lots to do and it took at least another hour to get everything ready for packing. By early afternoon we had managed to get the 50 extra presents wrapped.
Ishita had a car so we made use of it (thanks Ishita!), the car was packed with the freshly wrapped presents and another 12+ presents that had been wrapped for our educational children who had missed the party on Christmas Day.
Our first stop was the recycling area which gave us chance to take a peek at the children living rough on the stony area behind, next to the dried up river. We had already given there on Christmas Eve but as all these children/families come and go there was a different set of children today.
We gave out all the educational children's presents and quickly finished off the presents we wrapped today. All the children received an orange and pear along with presents. There was still a box of fruit left and we headed back to the children near the recycling area and gave out most of the remaining fruit to the children living next to the river. As always the children were so welcoming and thankful for such a little gift.
I would like to thank Ishita for all her help and everyone else who made the gifts possible. The Christmas celebrations are now over and so it is time to start preparations for the coming year. Wishing you all a Happy New Year.