Children craft lanterns out of recycled materials during the Diwali celebration.
The triumph over darkness and discord can be achieved through the radiance of peace and unity. Global Peace Foundation (GPF) India celebrated the ‘Festival of Lights’ Diwali with the children of village Galheta of state Uttar Pradesh, embodying the spirit of light and tranquillity to dispel any shadows. Infusing the festival with vibrant hues and creative craftsmanship using recycled materials added a unique touch to the essence of Diwali.
Enduring under the Project Fostering Environmental Virtue, the celebration focused on introducing rural children to the ‘Best Out of Waste.’ The event involved children from 8 to 14 years of age. Focusing on the age, the children were divided into two groups, 8-10 years and 11-14 years. The first group involved eighty children from 8-10 years in ‘Painting the Diya’ activity. The task involved children painting each diya (lamp) and embellishing it with recycled materials. They were given paints, brushes, diyas, and waste decorative items. Children had one hour to express their creativity on the diyas.
GPF India representative holds up diya (lantern) created out of recycled materials.
The next task was to create lamps from newspapers. Thirty-one children, aged 11 to 14, crafted these lamps by employing old newspapers, pasting, and cutting them into various shapes. Organized into teams of three, they further used their creativity to use waste materials in the beautification of the lamp.
After the preparation of the materials, the children from the age group of 5 years to 15 years were given Diwali presents, stationery, sweets, and the lamps they prepared.
The event empowered the children to understand sustainable practices to celebrate the festivals, which promote environmentally friendly ways of advancing harmonic steps for sustainability, human consciousness, and global peace.
