On 8th June 2025, DUA Child and Social Welfare Trust conducted a food distribution campaign in a new area, Sardari Khera, located in Alambagh, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. This locality is largely inhabited by ragpickers, daily wage earners, and other unorganized workers.
These hands silently hold up our cities, yet they remain unseen, unheard, and often uncared for.
Some people still refuse to treat others as equals, DUA believes in dignity through action. So we came, not as saviours but as friends, as fellow humans. And we brought with us the warmth of puri and chole-aloo ki sabzi, a dish that every Indian loves, that speaks of home and comfort. Prepared lovingly by Raj Bhojanalay in Alambagh, who even added extra food beyond our order, ensuring that no child was left without a meal, not even by mistake.
But it wasn’t just the food we shared. The temperature was at 40°C, easing to 36°C by evening. The real relief came from Frooti, a ₹10 mango drink that brought more than relief, it brought smiles, cherished by all age groups, especially children. With the very first sip, a smile bloomed on their faces like sunshine after rain. One child who had been crying suddenly smiled after tasting the drink and soon became our playful companion, proving sweetness truly melts hearts.
That’s the magic of sweetness, as one of our volunteers beautifully said,
“Sweetness can open the doors to someone’s heart, just like Mom always said.”
The children kept asking for more, their tiny hands outstretched, eyes gleaming, and smiles so innocent, it was impossible to say no to such pure, sweet charm.
We kept distributing. We saw smiles, heard laughter, and felt a strange familiarity as if we had known them forever.
We often hear the phrase “Where there is relationship, there is love.” But at DUA, we believe: “Where there is love, relationships are born.”
We didn’t know these children yesterday. But today, we laughed together, ate together, played, and even talked about dreams. Our team found it hard to leave. We had connected so deeply, it felt like we had been a part of each other’s lives forever.
We also interacted with the parents, people who carry stories of hardship and survival. They smiled, they spoke, they hoped. One parent shared how their child wants to become a teacher, inspired by the young volunteer who teaches them. It was a moment of shared humanity, across class, caste, and condition.
As the sun set, bathing Sardari Khera in golden hues, the smiles of children reflected a brighter light.
A volunteer said, “The setting sun didn’t want to go, because the children’s joy made the evening too beautiful to end.”
That moment captured everything we believe in.
It’s important to remember that India’s unorganized sector, workers without contracts, health benefits, without job security, form nearly 90% of our workforce. These include street vendors, waste collectors, household workers, delivery persons, and yes ragpickers like those in Sardari Khera. They live in shadows, but they are essential to the economy and to our society.
We at DUA want to be the bridge between their world and the world that often forgets them.
This campaign wasn’t just about filling stomachs it was about touching lives.
About saying: “You matter. You are not forgotten.”
As we walked through the narrow lanes of Sardari Khera, what struck us first wasn’t the poverty, but the spirit of the children, many of them barefoot, yet full of energy and curiosity. Most have never stepped into a school, but they know what education is. In this corner of society where dreams are fragile, a local youth from the same community teaches them weekly. There’s no blackboard, no bell, but the lessons are filled with knowledge.
Our Next Campaign
We’re now preparing to distribute educational materials like books, pencils, and notebooks, to help these children not just dream, but begin their journey toward fulfilling them. We need your help to make this happen.
Support DUA. Support dreams.
Whether it’s ₹100 or ₹1000 every donation matters. Every rupee can light the path to learning, unlock the door to dreams, and give a child the chance to write their own future.
Donate. Share. Spread the word.
Together, let’s create a world where no child has to walk barefoot into the future.
Thank you to everyone who has donated and supported us. You are the reason their smiles bloomed.
