Toybank is a non-profit organisation that aims to provide toys to all children. It vision is a world where all children have a happy and healthy childhood.
Below are excerpts from its website. You can discover more via the following link.
http://www.toybank.org/site/home.aspx
The Toybank Story
The journey began on August 15th, 2004. Shweta Chari, an Electronics Engineer founded Toybank with a vision of reaching out to children through fun and play using toys.
A small idea that started in a small restaurant in Bombay has over the years gathered momentum with the help and support of friends and volunteers from all across Bombay.
Within a shortest span of time and very minimal resources, Toybank is bringing smiles on thousands of deprived faces.
Toybank acts as a leveler of the society by taking toys from those that can give and distributing them to the ones in need.
In a way Toybank attempts to prove the belief of John.F.Kennedy, ‘If the free society cannot help the many that are poor, it can never save the few who are rich.’
Toybank honestly dreams to place a toy in the hands of every child in India and the world.
The toy shapes the psyche of the children, so utmost care is taken to give only unbiased and morally correct toys to children.
Current Scenario of Children in the World
One in two children in the world is living below the poverty line with no access to a Rightful Childhood.
There are 2.2 billion children in the world out of which 1 billion (every second child) is in poverty
Street children are subject to malnutrition, hunger, health problems, substance abuse, theft, physical and sexual abuse.
Childhood and adolescent depression is on the rise through the child’s growing years.
There are 12.44 million orphans in India. They all have a right for a better future.
What is Toybank?
Toybank envisions a world where all children are empowered through healthy play.
We are a proactive organization. Our work prevents children from succumbing to immoral habits. Toybank tries to address the root cause of a problem and not wait until the child has already lost its innocence.
Toybank aspires to prevent a damaged childhood instead of focusing on ‘undamaging’ after the event has occurred.
Simply put, it is a bank with toy deposits and joy dividends.
Why a Toy?
Whenever a child cries, the first action that naturally comes to our mind is distracting them with some toy and it works!
1. It takes something as small and simple as a Toy to get a child’s attention out from the troubles that it is in; they are naturally attentive towards toys.
For the children who have difficult lives, there is no environment at all for them to act child like.
A small toy gives that space where a child gets an opportunity to look away from all the problems and be a child again.
The more time the child gets to be a child, the healthier and safer it is for the child itself and ultimately for the society.
This way we want to get their attention, instill in them the values and give exposure to them so that they realize and feel that there is an opportunity for them to get out of their troubled lives and be hopeful of a better tomorrow.
2. Toybank believes that qualities like passion, enthusiasm and goodness, are qualities which are planted at the root level.
Once these qualities are in place, no matter what line of life these kids take up, they’ll always be immensely confident & successful in whatever they do.
At our play sessions we are trying to get the kids out of their shields that have come up due to their circumstances and make them into individuals who are excited about the littlest things they do, fill them with enthusiasm, confidence and passion.
Toybank’s Five Major Goals
1. Accessibility:
For children to first have simple access to morally correct toys and healthy play.
2. Interest in Life:
They are motivated for themselves and feel excited to live.
3. Going to school:
Their interest to study increases through play.
4. Academic performance:
They therefore have a brighter future & are able to take informed decisions.
5. Fun element:
That the kids must always have fun; ensuring that they’re kids all the way & don’t lose out on their childhood too soon.
We will not be able to hold their hands for rest of their lives and neither is it a good way to really ‘help’, but once we have this ground work in place and these qualities at the base, around which the character will be built, we know that these kids are equipped to go out there in the world, take control of their lives and bring about any transformation that they want to and thus they are not ‘underprivileged’ any more.
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