Mumbai colleges turn Santa for the underprivileged

Institutes encourage students to donate books, toys and food, which can be given to the poor

As Mumbaiites welcomes Christmas with bright lights and decorated trees, students from city colleges are spreading the cheer by helping the underprivileged.

Students distribute gifts to slum kids at Carter Road on Sunday. (Satyabrata Tripathy)

St Andrew’s College, Bandra, is encouraging students campus to donate used goods that can be sent to orphanages.

“Instead of a red Santas, we are going ahead with a Yellow (‘Yeh-lo’) Santa Claus on our campus. Staff and students have been encouraged to donate clothes, books and toys, which can be donated to an orphanage,” said principal Marie Fernandes. The college has already received donations from the students and are is planning to take the help of charity groups to distribute the items collected.

Students of Usha Pravin Gandhi College, Vile Parle, are collecting used items to help several non-governmental organisations (NGOs)in the city.

“We have set up boxes at various corridors, in which students can donate stuff. It can be anything from clothes to to

As Mumbaiites welcome Christmas with bright lights and decorated trees, students from city colleges are spreading the cheer by helping the underprivileged.

St Andrew’s College, Bandra, is encouraging its students to donate used goods that can be sent to orphanages.

“Instead of red Santas, we are going ahead with a Yellow (‘Yeh-lo’) Santa Claus on our campus. Staff and students have been encouraged to donate clothes, books and toys, which can be donated to orphanage,” said principal Marie
Fernandes.

Read: Joy of giving back: Mumbai housing society creates 10,000 sqft garden

The college has already received donations from the students and is planning to take the help of charity groups to distribute the items collected.

Students of Usha Pravin Gandhi College, Vile Parle, are collecting used items to help several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the city.

“We have set up boxes at various corridors, in which students can put items they want to donate . It can be anything from clothes to food. While some will be donated this week, the collection drive will go on till January when we will participate in the Joy of Giving Week,” said principal Anju Kapoor.

Blood donation drives at city colleges have been a common sight this year. Continuing the trend, RD National College, Bandra, has decided to organise a blood donation drive on its campus last week.

“We decided to give the gift of life to people and 100 students donated blood last week. We conduct such drives more than once a year. This time we decided to do it before Christmas,” said principal Dinesh Panjwani.

He added that this year, the college collaborated with a national bank and donated the blood it collected to a government hospital.

Nagindas Khandwala College, Malad, has decided to spread awareness about healthy living and eating in a small village in Maharashtra. In the coming week, a group of students and teachers will visit the village in Pen, adopted by the college, and set up a health camp.

“We’ve been visiting this village for the past couple of years, but it is for the first time that we will be organising a health camp for the villagers. It’s our Christmas gift to them,” said Mona Mehta, vice principal (Unaided courses).