Fun-filled Birthday Celebration for HOPE beneficiaries

HOPE, the cancer care project of Mumbai Smiles is a psycho-socio paediatric oncology project, which helps the cancer patients, in the age group of 0-18 years of age, belonging to the underprivileged section of the society, residing in slum areas pan India. Even though our project area is Andheri East, a northern suburban area of Mumbai, the beneficiaries of this project belong to different areas of India. Now, while the HOPE project doesn’t financially help these children, it provides psychological and social support to them and their immediate families by way of health and nutrition counselling as well as accommodation support for outstation beneficiaries. As for the financial aid, it is arranged for other means, but the nutrition counselling, mental support and supplies to encourage these children to continue with their education and lead a normal life, despite facing such a demonic disease, is what the HOPE project aims at providing.

Project Officer Supriya with the birthday kids!

One of the activities to encourage the beneficiaries is the organisation of events for the beneficiaries, like the Champion of The Month, Birthday Parties and Cancer Survivor’s Day etc. where scholarships are distributed to encouragement continuation of their studies and nutritional and educational supplies are also distributed to keep them motivated to lead a healthy and normal life.

Cake cutting with the HOPE beneficiaries and Dr. Nirmal (above) Birthday gifts for beneficiaries presented by Supriya (below)

Last week, a Birthday Party was organised to celebrate the birthdays of Ilyaas, Ananya, Riddhi, Rehan and Vishal, all of whose birthdays fall in the month of October and November. Coincidentally, the Unit Head of Health, Dr. Nirmal Ahuja’s birthday also falls in the same period and so he also celebrated his birthday with all the 15 HOPE children and their families.

The highlight of the event, apart from the yummy cake and sparkly gifts, was a fun filled clown act by a Spanish professional Clown, Monika, who was in India for a trip and had decided to visit the projects of Mumbai Smiles, yet again! A regular supporter of Mumbai Smiles, Monica was visiting Mumbai Smiles for the third time and like the previous two times, this time as well she performed an exciting and interactive fun filled routine for all the children and their families.

A day full of smiles, this is what we aim to bring about in Mumbai – a city full of smiles, positivism, good health and free of poverty!