One’s deprivation can be hidden on a ‘boring’ day; the food sticking to the bottom of the vessel can be scraped onto the plate in the privacy of one’s four walls, evading prying eyes. On a day filled with all-round excitement, even a magic carpet cannot hide deprivation. The economic lack in a child’s life can come into sharp relief during Deepavali. Time-worn clothes instead of glittering new festive wear. The home, an oasis of silence: a silence not chosen over cracker noise but accepted ruefully. When friends appear with sweets, no boxes of goodies to give as a return gift. It is time to activate the Deepavali-centred category of volunteering: providing underprivileged children with new dresses, sweet boxes and cracker packs. And many a voluntary organisation has already activated it.
‘Help our 500 children’
Chennai-centred voluntary organisation Living for Humanity Foundation, founded in 2016 by Raghunath Govindaraj and Saroja Chellapa, is seeking to “kit out” underprivileged children for Deepavali, 500 of them. This Foundation supports 500 children spread across 10 government-aided schools (read about the initiative at https://lforhfoundation.wordpress.com/) providing them with food, school bags and footwear, among other essentials. Raghunath notes the initiative is sustained through donations from known sources. No CSR support, he adds. Around Deepavali, it is seeking to provide a kit worth ₹870 to each of the 500. The kit would contain dress, sweets and snacks. For those who wish to contribute, donations are accepted through UPI, cheques, and bank transfers; physical cash is not accepted. Living for Humanity Foundation can be found on Facebook and Instagram for those who wish to learn more or contribute.
A rural outreach
Dhana Sundarambal Charitable Society (DSC Society) has launched a “Diwali Happiness Kit” drive in Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune, Mumbai and Vijayawada, and the effort is aimed at lighting up the Deepavali of underprivileged children in villages across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and South India.
Through this drive, someone can sponsor a “Diwali Happiness Kit” for an underprivileged child. Priced at Rs.1,500, a kit contains clothes, stationery, sweets, and crackers, ensuring that children receive useful supplies such as stationery while not missing out on their share of the festival’s excitement. The organisation has also made the process more accessible and user friendly for first time donors, with its website offering step-by-step guidelines and answers to frequently asked questions. Those interested can find the necessary details and make their contribution through the “Diwali Happiness Kit” page. DSC Society’s Instagram handle is @dsc_society, and its website is https://dscsociety.com.
A day to remember
For Udhavum Ullangal Public Charitable Trust, “Anandha Deepavali” is an event gilded in gold on its annual events calendar. On October 18 (today) it would be celebrating the 29th year of this initiative at Sri Krishnaswamy Kalyana Mandapam in T, Nagar, with entertainment for unprivileged children.
The charitable trust’s founder, Shankar Mahadevan, reportedly started the drive nearly three decades ago (much before he even founded the trust) after being a witness to a startling and sordid contrast on a Deepavali day. One side of a street was celebrating the day, and the other scraping through it. With like-minded people, he started the initiative “Anandha Deepavali” to ensure the have-nots had a Deepavali too. It would go on to be counted among the charitable trust’s flagship events. It is aimed at giving underprivileged children finding themselves in support homes a day to cherish: they receive “custom-fit clothes and delicious meal” and are provided with entertainment throughout the day. Accessories (such as necklaces and bracelets) made by women that have received training to do these things at the skill development programme run by Udhavun Ullangal are given away to the children. Volunteers from corporate houses join in the celebration, and with their skillsets (dancing and singing) make the day stand out for the child.
The initiative is not restricted to Chennai, and Anandha Deepavali travels to other parts of Tamil Nadu; on October 25 this year, it is being organised in Sivakasi.
For details, go to https://udhavumullangal.org.in/projects/anandha-deepavali/. Its Instagram handle is @udhavumullangal Mahadevan is joined by his brother in law, S. Govindaswami, the voluntary organisation’s CFO, in carrying the initiative forward. The trust runs skill development centres for women at minimal fees, offers scholarships to children in need and it runs a cancer centre.
Other drives
*The Public Foundation, which runs Ayyamittu Unn, the visible sign of it being the community fridges placed on roads across Chennai, has started a Deepavali donation drive. Learn more about it on its Instagram handle, which is @ayyamittuunn
*Pephands Foundation has also been organising a Deepavali donation drive in Chennai to provide children with a kit containing a “new dress, sweets and safe crackers”. To learn about what they are planning for this Deepavali, go to https://pephands.org
Published - October 18, 2026 08:08 am IST