Spreading Smiles: Our Journey to Support Students with Shoes Part II

In my last article, I shared how we prepared gifts for our school visit. Today, I’m excited to share how the event unfolded. As planned with Roshani, we aimed to arrive at the school by 7:45 a.m. Despite an unexpected rain, we managed to get there on time. We waited until the morning religious activities concluded before meeting the principal, who welcomed us warmly. Two adorable children greeted us with a bouquet and a handful of betel leaves, making for a truly lovely welcome.

Roshani had organized a special assembly with the students, which brought back fond memories of our own school days. The little ones expressed their gratitude by presenting us with numerous bouquets, handmade greeting cards, and crafts. Their heartfelt gestures and a few thoughtful speeches, including one from a student, exceeded our expectations. The principal, vice principal, and Roshani each gave speeches, and we also had the opportunity to address the students. Harith delivered a short but inspirational speech that resonated with the young audience.

Next came the moment to distribute the shoes. Roshani announced the names, and the children eagerly came forward to collect their gifts. After that, we invited all the students to come up one by one to receive the stationery sets we had prepared. Although the gifts were small, the excitement on the students’ faces showed just how much they appreciated them.

Distributing all the items took some time, but the effort was worth it. Following the main event, we were invited to the principal’s office for tea, where we had a chance to get to know him better. The teachers, students, and even the parents had put in a lot of effort to make our visit special.

It was also wonderful to catch up with Roshani after so long, and we couldn’t resist a quick chat and a bit of gossip. After a successful and heartwarming event, we said our goodbyes to the teachers and students.

I want to extend a special thanks to Roshani for her incredible coordination and kindness throughout the entire event. We are also grateful to the teachers who helped gather details about the students’ shoe sizes, as well as the vendors who supported us. The DSI team went above and beyond by packing each pair of shoes with matching socks and labeling the boxes with the students' names and sizes, making our task much easier.

Overall, it was a truly rewarding experience, filled with smiles, gratitude, and a renewed sense of community. This visit reminded us of the simple joys of giving back, and we left with our hearts full, looking forward to the next opportunity to make a difference.