Happiness Project Brought to Life: J.J. Camp, New Delhi

Back in December, our India office team members decided to organize the second NOVICA Happiness Project in their own backyard, in a New Delhi industrial slum called “J. J. Camp.” While distributing care packages and doing a little community outreach in preparation for the project they met Kanak, a nine-year-old girl living in J. J. Camp in a 50-square-foot apartment with her parents and two siblings.

Meet Kanak!
Our India office team meets an inspiring young lady named Kanak (pictured left) in December

Kanak reported many challenges of life in the slum, but insisted that she is a bright student and hopes to become a doctor one day. Still, she had never had a doll to play with. But when our India team gave Kanak a doll of her very own, the inspiration for a greater Happiness Project was born.

Paying it forward

Kanak loved her doll, but she felt bad that her friends, who like herself came from families who could not afford dolls, had not received them as well. She wanted very much to “pay it forward” and spread happiness amongst her friends, and in turn inspired us to take action. Thus, Kanak and the India office team planned a day to distribute toys amongst all of J.J. Camp’s children and participate in community activities.

On the morning of May 25, Kanak and the residents of J.J. Camp gathered for the big event. After sharing her story and her motivation for helping organize the event, Kanak helped the India office team pass out toys to the children: kitchen and doctor sets, dolls, or make-up and jewelry kits for the girls, and cars, figurines, footballs and basketballs for the boys, depending on their ages.

Kanak and her friends.
Kanak and her friends show off their new dolls at the Happiness Project event.
Another of Kanak's friends
Another of Kanak’s friends shows off his toy cars.

The cycle of happiness continues!

Distributing toys and helping Kanak bring more joy to her community was a powerful way to spread happiness to the neighbors of our India office. But more than that, NOVICA Happiness Projects are about giving happiness, and getting happiness in return. To that end, the kids of J.J Camp made cards for a local children’s hospital by hand, taking their joy in receiving toys and paying it forward to those in need. Spreading happiness to Kanak and continuing the cycle, expanding it outward, we felt confident that our second-ever Happiness Project had succeeded.

Special thanks to Sarah Grooters, Anvita Malhotra, Tiali Jamir, Sanjay Saxena, Nidhi Dang, Mukesh Sharma, Ratna Narayan, Amitesh Gupta, Vineet Kumar, and the rest of the India office team for making this Happiness Project possible.

NOVICA Happiness Projects

Want to learn more about Happiness Projects? Find out all about them here and see other Happiness Projects in action.

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