PANAJI
The 22nd Annual Bal Mela was held at the Big Foot Sanskriti Kendra, Loutolim, bringing together over 1,300 children from underprivileged backgrounds, including special and physically challenged children from institutions across Goa. The theme for this year, “Celebrating Simplicity,” highlighted the importance of returning to one’s roots and embracing true equality. The day commenced with a range of games and activity stalls. The Goa Police also participated by running a stall that emphasized the importance of traffic rules, while doctors from the Primary Health Centre, Loutolim, conducted sessions on oral health and hygiene. Volunteers from ‘Uzvad’ trained children in street play. The Big Foot Achiever Awards were presented to 32 children from challenging backgrounds by Digamber Kamat, PWD Minister and Alex Reginald Lourenco, MLA from Curtorim. The programme was initiated by Maendra Alvares, CEO of The Big Foot Trust. The volunteers namely Bi Bi Sara Balambid, Rekha R. Kaunder, Gousbi Shaikh, Noorbi Sayyad, Rekha Adekar, Bi Bi Fatima Balambid, Maria Andrade, Gustav de Souza, Pachu Menon, Arleine Rodrigues were honoured.
