The mela starts at the gate, where you buy your entry coupon (5 Rupees for adults, 2 for kids), along with your coupons to spend inside. Every stall was sponsored by a different Foundation project, or by parents from Latika Vihar. A whole bus load of kids from Hopetown School came, with a fixed amount of money they HAD to spend. They loved the games and the food and we loved the carnival spirit they brought along with them.

Stuff the kids had made in craft class was on sale, along with beautiful Asha Kiran products.

All the regular Latika kids turned out, along with lots of kids we don’t get to meet that often, and the Foundation staff, from every project as well – some for the entire day!

The games were very popular, with “Chana in the Rice” the hands-down winner . . .

(though”Eat a Plate of Popcorn” had a lot of fans too!)

My favorite photo: these kids had their coupons sponsored and their eyes simply shone as they ran from one stall to another playing games and buying treats. They didn’t eat a thing they bought – their pockets BULGED with all the goodies they collected and which they will probably eat slowly over the next week. When they ran out of coupons, one of them came to me and asked “Didi, aur koi nakli pesae hoga?”

And by the way! Our total take for the mela, after paying all our expenses: Rs 5500!