Ten little students of the Paspoli Municipal School at Powai had their minutes in the limelight as they trooped on stage at the Mahakavi Kalidasa Hall in Mulund last Saturday to enthrall an auditorium brimming with L&T employees with an endearing dance item. The evening was supposed to be a variety entertainment programme exclusively for and by L&T employees and their families. But as rehearsals for the show got into gear, many of the employees taking part felt the occasion would be more meaningful if the less privileged children in the neighbourhood also get a chance to share the spotlight.
They turned to a municipal school in Powai that L&T had ‘adopted’. The Paspoli school has across the years benefited greatly from L&T’s welfare initiatives. Apart from providing teaching aids, educational tours and sponsoring a play centre, company volunteers or ‘L&T-eers’ as they are known, regularly conduct study classes for the children in maths, science and English. On this occasion, the students were coached in something that was not quite part of the syllabus – they were trained in dance steps from the film ‘Mission Kashmir’!
According to Ms. Sanyogta A. Raina – Manager, Corporate Social Initiatives, the students were initially diffident about performing before such a large audience of unfamiliar ‘uncles and aunties’. But once they got over their initial stage fright, not much coaching was required as the little wards “were naturals when it came to dance”. And if the applause at the hall was anything to go by, the young boys and girls of Paspoli have a bright future ahead of them in the entertainment arena!
Mr. R.N. Mukhija, Director and President (Operations) of L&T, said “The company was keen that its welfare initiatives reached out across the community and benefited as many as possible. And so we welcomed the move to bring the municipal school students into our employee event. I am sure this entertainment programme has given the children an opportunity to develop and display latent talent and also taught them the fundamental of interacting with an audience. Who knows, we may have unearthed another Govinda from our midst!”
Students of Paspoli Municipal School, Powai join children of L&T employees in striking a patriotic chord at a variety entertainment programme in Mulund, Mumbai on Saturday, Dec 30.
