Prize Day at the Children’s Home

On one of my trips to India, I knew in advance I was going to visit a children's home. In preparation I bought a number of small inexpensive gifts on Amazon. Among those gifts were 10 very inexpensive watches at a bulk cost of about $50 for all ten.

In addition I bought marbles, candy, and other small trinkets. I also had a number of copies of my travel photos made. I needed to be sure the items were small so I could fit them all in one luggage case as checking extra bags can be expensive in some parts of the world.

My intent was to have something to give to the children. But how was I do to it in a fair manner? I knew some gifts would be more coveted than the others and I didn't want to stir a problem by seeming to favor one child over another by giving some the good gifts. I couldn't do that anyway because I had no idea what the good gifts were!

It turned out there were two gifts that were most prized among the children depending on their gender. The boys wanted the small pocket knives and the girls wanted the watches (with the exception of the one barbie doll I brought).

So I devised a simple game. I had all the children write their name on a small piece of paper then I placed all the names in my hat. I placed all the gifts out on the open porch and the children gathered around. I had two of the older children assist me. One to pull a name and read it (I couldn't read most their names), and another to assist in the prize awards.

I had the most covetous awards saved for last. So, instead of the first name pulled getting the grand prize, it was the last. I did that to make the excitement grew as each child hoped their name not be pulled.

I played this game several times as I had many small gifts to hand out, including the pictures. Now a picture from my travels will seem a small thing to you reading this and seeing my collection of photos, but to a child without internet, who has never traveled, and whose every possession fit in a small box beneath their bed, it's a big deal to get one.

After the game was over I often tossed some candy in the air for the children to gather, much as I did in Thailand in this post:

https://www.kirkstravelstories.com/post/having-fun-in-the-villages-of-thailand

I know I enjoyed this time more than they did. How can you not feel joy and contentment when you see all the smiles and happiness these simple gifts bring on the faces of children? But to them it was more than the presents, it was the gift of time a foreign stranger would offer to them. These memories will last all of us a lifetime (which isn't as long for me as it is for them).