In one of the slums of Delhi, birthdays often passed as ordinary days. Everything changed when Payal Kumar brought a cake, and one child showed her how much even a small celebration could mean.
She recalls: 'One day I brought a cake to a child in the slum to celebrate her birthday. When I handed her the knife to cut it, she had no idea what to do.' This moment remained in her memory.
'It was the first time she celebrated her birthday. It hurt me, and I realized how much they lacked basic joys of life,' she shares. This prompted her to want to do more.
During the COVID-19 quarantine, Payal began cooking food at home and distributing it to nearby slums. However, over time, she realized that food alone was not enough.
'I never thought I would run an NGO,' she says. But her work evolved into the organization Feed the Souls, which provides food to low-income populations, educates children, and provides skills to women.
Today, 125 children from the Kuli camp attend free evening classes with Payal. Madhu, a 4th-grade student, notes that after four years of classes, she has come to love studying more, and her understanding of the material has significantly improved.
'I wanted to show them that education is their ticket to a better life,' Payal explains. She noticed that parents started appreciating this when they saw the delight of their children during lessons in her class.
Additionally, there is the Utsav project, through which she organizes birthdays for children who have never had such an opportunity. To date, this project has reached approximately 1000 children in Delhi.
'It is a day when they feel valued, know that they are special, and understand that they deserve happiness,' asserts Payal. For these children, the cake is only a small part of everything.
'The love and respect I receive from these children and their families sustain me,' she concludes. Her goal is to give hope to children and women by helping build a different future.