On 11th Feb 2018, adidas and Udayan Care celebrated 12 years of their charitable commitment through their Annual Sports Day. A consistent effort has been made over the years to inculcate sportsmanship, teamwork and competitive spirit among the Udayan Ghar children through the Sports day event.
Udayan Care is a registered Public Charitable Trust that nurtures children who are orphaned or abandoned. They also support higher education of girls and enable communities to train themselves in vocations in a transformative, nurturing and mentoring environment. 24 years ago, Udayan Ghars were initiated to make sure that every child has a shelter and that they enjoy their childhood in a simulated family environment.
The kids are nurtured by a group of socially committed, civil society members, who voluntarily commit themselves to groom the children like their own. With a vision “To Regenerate the Rhythm of Life of the Disadvantaged,” Udayan Care initiatives have transformed lives of many children and youth throughout India.
Udayan Ghars operate on a unique model called LIFE (Living in Family Environment) where lifetime volunteer mentor parents run the home with about 12 children. Ghars are located in popular neighborhoods and children attend private, English medium schools, and participate in vocational training and mental health programmes that help integrate them into a safe and productive community. The children in the Homes are between the ages of 6 and 18 years and they have access to play areas, sports and educational and recreational workshops.
The Annual Sports Meet was inaugurated by Mr. Dave Thomas, M.D. of adidas India along with Dr. Kiran Modi, Founder & Managing Trustee of Udayan Care. Children from 14 homes, along with the alumni, mentor parents, volunteers, fellow social workers as well as other representatives, participated in the event.
The sports day is one of the most significant events of Udayan Care children. In addition to bringing forth the sportsmanship in a child, it also builds, solidifies and celebrates a balance between academics and recreation. The grounds were bursting with energy, zeal, and excitement as the children were ready to compete with the opposing team.
The children participated in races including Sack race, three-legged race and balloon race for the specially-abled. Activities were also organised for the alumni, mentor mothers, volunteers etc. too. The last event was the 100m blindfold race for all the employees of Udayan Care.