A total of 120 children from Midnapore between the age group of 4 to 17 got to live their dreams under the lights at the iconic Eden Gardens, as Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings XI squared off on Saturday on April 26.
Despite the match being washed out due to rain after the Punjab innings, the kids still got the experience of a lifetime as they cheered on their favourite Knights.
RGB Welfare Foundation and Sourav Ganguly Foundation made these kids dreams into reality
The children were jointly supported by RGB Welfare Foundation and the Sourav Ganguly Foundation. Most of these children are either orphans or come from underprivileged families.
What do they do? They clean people’s ears at places like bus stands and railway stations.
Through the help of both these foundations these children were enrolled in schools about four years back. But it did not help because the kids had no one at home to help them study. They were then included in the Boi Bondhu (friends of books) project through which they are given free coaching through
The children cheered on the Knight Riders despite the rain
14 year old Ritesh Singh, one of the kids who went to Eden said, “We all enjoyed it a lot. It felt so nice. We saw so many lights and so many people. When someone got out everyone was shouting and that was so much fun. This was the first time we saw a match from so close.”
“It was a joy to see the wonder in their eyes. For many of these children from orphanages, especially those brought by the NGO RGB from Midnapore, it was their first time at Eden Gardens. Taking them to an IPL match wasn’t just about cricket; it was about giving them a memory, a dream. That’s what this game is all about,” said Ganguly.
Having collaborated on several projects before, both these foundations have been working together to provide support for the children as and when required.
The children thanked Dada with these posters they held up at Eden
Sk, Rajibul Islam, Paromita Mondal and Kabita Ghosal from the RGB Welfare Foundation together said “We have taken the initiative to bring these underprivileged children to fulfill their little dreams. We were invited by the Sourav Ganguly Foundation to take the children to watch a live cricket match. Being able to give them the experience of sitting in a stadium, surrounded by bright lights and an electrifying atmosphere, was truly special. We are sincerely grateful to Dada for this opportunity. Seeing the pure joy on the children’s faces made us realize how successful this initiative was.”