

Diwali is a special time when families come together to celebrate the festival of lights in India and around the world. Each Diwali season, individuals gather with their loved ones and adorn their homes with small clay oil lamps called diyas, decorated candles, serial lights and firecrackers – which are a favorite among children – that light up the evening sky in cities, towns and villages across India.
The lights are also accompanied by the custom of gift giving. In sweet shops around the country, packaged boxes of sweets and snacks are stacked on the shelves for people to give them as gifts to friends, classmates, colleagues, neighbors and others. Buying new clothes for oneself and for others is also another one of the must do activities during the Diwali festive season.
The spirit of gift giving on Diwali
The tradition of giving gifts on Diwali comes from the very nature of the festival. The triumph of good over evil is one of the core themes of Diwali and one of the most effective ways to celebrate this is through showing our gratitude, appreciation, respect and value for the people in our lives through giving gifts. It is a custom that brings people together and makes the world a better place.
The most popular gifts are sweets, fruits, clothes and of course diyas, but people are becoming further interested in how Diwali gifts can be more creative and personal while making a difference in the world around them. Diwali activities such as spending time at an animal home or feeding children in an orphanage are gestures that benefit the giver as well as the person in need of a little compassion.
5 ideas for a compassionate Diwali
This festival of lights, United Way Chennai has 5 ideas to help you celebrate a more compassionate Diwali. These five ideas reflect each of our five programs that address people’s needs in the areas of education, livelihood, health, environment and aid in times of natural disasters. Supporting these initiatives will help us reach more people with what is needed to live better lives.
Give the gift of education
In communities across India, children lack access to education for various reasons, such as discrimination against the girl child. But it is extreme poverty that is the main factor keeping children out of school. For poor families, it is impossible to afford uniforms or books for their children but above that, families also need their children to help at home while they’re working. This prevents them from going to school and focusing on getting an education. United Way Chennai runs Project Aakkam which rebuilds and renovates underfunded schools to make it more conducive for students to learn. The renovations include rebuilding classrooms, desks, benches, toilets and provides school buses and other learning resources to help students receive a more comprehensive education. Support Project Aakkam this Diwali!
Give the gift of livelihoods
Fathers and mothers across India struggle to find safe and decent income to take care of their children and make ends meet. These individuals are hard working and desperate to work to improve their lives but without skills and opportunities, they are stuck in poverty and struggle to access basic resources. United Way Chennai’s Project Thulir works with disadvantaged groups of people such as women in rural communities, persons with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities and young people struggling to build their lives. Through vocational skills training and livelihood focused programs, Project Thulir aims to improve the lives of people by giving them a platform to start building their lives and improving their futures. Support Project Thulir this Diwali!
Give the gift of good health
First among the list of priorities of most people is their health. Having immediate access to a medical doctor, medicines and medical treatment is critical to ensuring that health problems are addressed and we are on our way to recovery. But for people without access to any of the above, their quality of life is reduced and their life expectancy is cut down. United Way Chennai’s Project Nalam equips hospitals with medical equipment such as X-Ray machines, holds medical camps in remote and unreached areas, conducts health awareness sessions for adolescent girls on menstrual health and provides specialized training for the staff members of hospitals and PHCs on delivering excellent healthcare to patients who are in desperate need of care and support. Support Project Nalam this Diwali!
Give the gift of a better environment
The worsening conditions of our natural environment are bad for the health of the earth and all plant and animal life around us. But upon closer look, it has far worse consequences on human health than we can imagine. The loss of trees, for example, impacts human health because we don’t have enough trees that will absorb harmful pollutants in the air and soak up excess water through their roots. Furthermore, the loss of native tree species affects mammals for whom, these trees are a natural habitat. United Way Chennai’s Project Valam undertakes tree plantation drives and follows a thorough reforestation process starting from identifying appropriate sapling plantation sites to monitoring for optimum tree growth to ultimately restore our natural environment. Support Project Valam this Diwali!
Give the gift of emergency aid
Natural disasters are sudden and catch people unawares; it is for this reason that such intense devastation occurs when tsunamis, floods or landslides hit communities who are left stranded and in need of life saving urgent aid. During times of natural disasters, time is crucial. Getting food, medicines and temporary shelter to affected people right when it is needed often is the difference between life and death. United Way Chennai’s Project Karam works with a network of on-ground partners to ensure that timely emergency aid is provided to people seeking shelter from catastrophes. But to ensure that aid truly meets people’s needs, it is both immediate and long term such as rebuilding efforts and ongoing medical attention to recover from injuries. Support Project Karam this Diwali!
Celebrate a compassionate Diwali
Diwali is a time for you to celebrate the festival of lights in a manner that reflects what you care about the most. For some, that could be taking the extra effort to give a gift to people in need while spending time with friends and family. In doing so, we extend our circle of family and friends to those who we might never meet – but will be people who will remember our compassion for the rest of our lives. Happy Diwali!