I distinctly remember when I was in Kindergarten - my 1st day at school, how I was crying not wanting to go to school and my mom cajoling and persuading me to go to school. She gave me my 1st new school bag, a water bottle with tiffin attached right beneath it.

And I fell in love with my new bag and water bottle... I would not put the bag down the whole time for few days in the school.

Now when I look back after so many years I do feel that the persuasion from my parents, the happiness of having new bag were small but very important things which gave the first nudge in the right direction to my life.

And now when we walk the street and see kids rag picking and playing on footpaths then it strikes me how important it is that someone should persuade them to go to school at this age. At least give them some attraction which drives them to take the first step towards education.

Four years ago, in May 2011, one of my friends suggested me that I attend something called a "kitting program" organized by an organization called Seva Sahayog. So instead of going for a movie we decided to try going to this social gathering and check it out.

So on a Sunday at 10 am reached BalShikshan School in Kothrud.

Around 150 odd people gathered together and Mr.Atul Nagras addressing them. Stacks of bags kept on one side, piles of notebooks and stationary in another room. 

We joined the circle and started listing to what Atulji had to say. Those few minutes hearing what is Seva Sahayog, what is School kit activity and how it impacts the needy kids made the whole picture clear.
I was reminded of my first day in KG; I remembered how much I loved my school bag and there it was that I got strongly attached to the school kit program and to Seva Sahayog.

We kept coming each Sunday and saw more and more volunteers joining hands in this program.

Volunteers were sitting in a circle doing a quality check of bags, another few rows of volunteers adding the stationary to these checked bags , a few others providing materials to these members , some others checking and stacking the ready bags in the room, making it a mountain of school kits. 

Kids of some volunteers were serving water or clearing up the plastic or cardboards.

The leader of the activity for that year

would sound a whistle and all work 
would grind to a halt. Then there 
would be some fun activity or some Geet. 
Nitinji would sing “Galat maat kadam uthao…” 
and it was such a fun to sing after him. Or Maniktai’s “Vande Matarm..” would take us all to a different realm. Again a whistle would blow and work resumed with vigor. This was the scene each Sunday of May.

While working I talked with other volunteers and realized that some were as new as me while some veterans , some were doctors , a housewife or a student , a businessmen, principal of a school , some IT professionals , or working in various other industries , some retired members , some writers , some school teachers. 
People from all strata of life joined hands here. And while working got connected to many, made friends for life.

Who were these volunteers? How did they all come here? What makes them come here again and again year after year consistently? Probably they too have their story like mine which got them connected with this activity.

The activity after kitting was distribution of kits in Ngo schools. A sense of joy to see the smile on the kids face, they inquisitively checking the contents in their new bags. And again I saw myself in them. 

By late June the activity was done for the year. I got myself connected with Seva Sahayog in its other activities. And then during January next year we had a School-kit kickoff for 2012. As per the tradition each activity-each year would have a new team and a new leader to lead. I was bit hesitant when Atulji suggested me to lead it along with Shirishji. But a pat on back from Atulji gave all the confidence.

Then started the real team-work! The team from last year was mentor for us. New teams were formed, the procurement team, marketing team, kitting team, distribution team. Weekend meetings of these teams, taking guidance from seniors, getting new ideas from team all work was done. Next came contacting various organizations and individuals for explaining school kit program, setting up stalls for donation collection in various companies, spreading a word on social media, amongst friends, relatives. 

And again came the last Sunday of April 2012 @ BalShikshan school.

Same setup like last year. Volunteers pouring in with same enthusiasm. 

Saw many old faces and many new ones too. All joining hands towards making a future for some kid.

The activity continues year after year, each year with added enthusiasm, with new volunteers joining hands, with new ideas, more and more NGOs and companies getting connected, more kids getting benefited; people will come and go but this noble cause continues- coaxing and cajoling the less privileged kids to make an entry to the bright future through education, just like my mom did to me.