What a badge can do!!

I wore the “I stand for child rights badge” right through the campaign until the telethon 2004. I wore it because I do stand for child rights and I felt a sense of responsibility to enable others to do so too. For someone who cannot remember to change her earrings and gets irritated with any kind of jewellery/accessory after a day, wearing it for a whole year was an expression of my commitment to children.

I would have worn it after the telethon too- only its symbolism changed for me and I can’t be dishonest with myself to save my life 

Over the year I wore it, it attracted the attention of many strangers with whom I was able to talk about child rights. Some of the most memorable ones are-

1. On my birthday I got stuck in a Virar bound train (wearing a saree was making it more fun!) and got chatting with a middle class Muslim girl in train who asked me what the badge meant. Got carried over to Mira road and ended up getting off with her and discussing some kids she knew who needed money for education. Asked her to call Laxmi R for more information. Later, she called back later to ask for clerical job.
2. Met some college students in train to Borivali wanting to volunteer- met Rachana from KC on a Monday on my way back from Sophias in bus and she began volunteering that Wednesday!
3. Met a man in ST bus from Borivali to thane- spoke at length about CRY s community based approach
4. Met an girl from an event management co. girl in train to Bandra.. took Melissa’s no.
5. Met John a driver of BIS kindergarten student.. shared how he ensured he got both his girls to go to college and focus on studies and today younger one has job with Tata!! Was so proud that they are both independent!
6. A man on a plane trip used it as starting line to chat me up! I had to mention that my husband dropped me at the airport and pretend to sleep to shut him up!

It also strengthened my family’s commitment to child rights- my very spotlight shy husband volunteered to get people to sign the children’s manifesto appeal letter at a public stall outside our church. A distant cousin and family friend joined us at that stall. My father took to wearing the badge at every family/social gathering and talking about his “daughter’s commitment” as his own. My 70 plus mother in law bunched pinwheels into tens and diligently counted the badges into tens too, so it would be easy to handle for me and other volunteers at various stalls. My brother got his youth group to take it on and spread the campaign and word. My big joint family (that’s Selby, me and 6 in-laws) signed the appeal letter (after reading it very carefully) right before our family lunch for Easter and almost all of us wore the badge to the restaurant. Soon, child rights and CRY went from being ‘Adele’s job’ to our family cause.

But the most precious memory for me is when Vitthal Lad asked for my badge. We met at aqsa when Swati and I went to check out the beach for the pinwheel planting and he wanted to wear one proudly too. Was so happy that he wore it on the second day of their child participation workshop at aqsa too.

What wonders a single badge can do!