5 charitable things to do this Diwali

THIS Diwali season, you can spend the festival shining your light in the lives of those around you in need of care and affection. Diwali is called the Festival of Lights for its emphasis on the power of goodness and light over darkness and evil. Across India, families celebrate Diwali, or Deepawali, by meeting with loved ones, giving presents, sharing meals and also extending a charitable hand to those in need of help and affection. From serving fresh food to the homeless to caring for abandoned cows, this Diwali can be a season of charitable giving! 

Here are 5 charitable things to do this Diwali!

Serve fresh food to abandoned elders

Elders who are homeless on the streets face unimaginable suffering and heartache. Ending up on the streets was not by accident; these elders were abandoned by their own families. These seniors have shared that their children have mistreated them in their old age because they are no longer useful to them around the house and often take the extreme step of throwing them out onto the streets where they have no shelter, food or medicine and are in danger of being attacked.

This Diwali, when you support Manavlok, you help cook and serve fresh and nutritious meals to abandoned senior citizens who have no one to help them in their old age. Manavlok serves elders in the drought-hit Marathwada region through their Trupti Kitchen initiative which has been serving meals to homeless elders since the 1970s. By feeding destitute seniors with no income, Manavlok improves their health, lifespan and gives them much to look forward to. To support Manavlok:

Support Manavlok

Give new clothes to blind children

Blind children suffer from discrimination, abandonment and the lack of access to resources and facilities to help them achieve and accomplish their dreams. In many families, children with visual impairments are seen as a curse and are dumped on the side of the road, locked inside their rooms and are not given opportunities to improve their lives. Even their rights such as education and employment are denied to them because no one believes in them to give them a chance. 

This Diwali, when you support The National Association for the Blind in Delhi, you help visually-impaired children get access to shelter, education, activities, programs and resources such as Braille books and computer aids to assist them in their learning. The organization takes care of around 250 blind children and are celebrating the Diwali season with them with new clothes for each child to help them celebrate the festival with extra cheer. To support The National Association for the Blind in Delhi:

Support The National Association for the Blind

Rescue abandoned cows

Once cherished for their milk, cows that are too old to produce milk are abandoned on the streets where they starve, become malnourished, endure extreme heat and pouring rain, mistreatment and are harmed in road accidents. When cows are transported, they are stacked on one top of the other and often suffocate to death. These cows roam the streets and eat rotting garbage from the ground which causes illness and suffering. But there is no one to feel their sorrow or hear their cries. 

This Diwali, when you support Shree Krishnayan Desi Gauraksha Avam Golokdham Sewa Samiti, you help bring abandoned cows into a safe cow shelter where they have 24-hour veterinary care, nutritious green fodder that contains jaggery and grains and affection. Headed by Swami Ishwar Das, the NGO treats each adopted cow with the care they deserve after spending a lifetime supplying milk for people. To support Shree Krishnayan Desi Gauraksha Avam Golokdham Sewa Samiti:

Support Swami Ishwar Das

Plant trees across India

The loss of trees and mass deforestation worsens the air we breathe, increases the temperatures outside and heightens the risk of natural disasters such as floods, landslides and forest fires. While it is known that trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, they also absorb water and this prevents excess flooding, especially during the monsoon rains. Trees are also home to 80% of all land animals and their loss negatively impacts the food chain and our fragile ecosystem. 

This Diwali, when you support Give Me Trees, you join the mission to plant trees across India. Give Me Trees is headed by renowned environmentalist Peepal Baba who has spearheaded the planting of more than 1.27 crore Peepal trees across the country. Your support helps the NGO with site cleaning, pit digging, sapling procurement, watering, manuring, mulching and tree maintenance to ensure optimal growth and an ample lifespan. To support Give Me Trees: 

Support Give Me Trees

Sponsor a girl child’s education

The girl child is one of the most disadvantaged groups of children when it comes to access to education. Due to various reasons, girls are often forced to drop out of school because their families cannot afford the school fees and girls are made to stay at home looking after household chores while their brothers go to school. But without an education, girls are vulnerable to child marriage, child labor and are deprived from being able to improve their lives through education and employment. 

This Diwali, when you support our Mission: Every Girl in School, you help underprivileged families send their daughters to school. Your donation covers the cost of school fees, school books, school uniforms and other education related expenses to help girls from poor backgrounds take a step toward improving their lives and the lives of future generations. When girls are educated and empowered, the entire nation can move forward. To support Mission: Every Girl in School: 

Support Mission: Every Girl in School

Support these charities this Diwali!

This Festival of Lights, you can spread your light to those in India in need of love and protection. When you perform charitable acts this Diwali, you can uplift the lives of others and spend the festival season making a meaningful difference to others!

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Shirley Bobby

Shirley has been in the development sector for over 10 years and is passionate about making a change in the world around her, including adopting dogs and writing to make a difference.