On 27 Feb at 10.00 am a completely natural Holi party was organised by eCoexist volunteer Venkat Gunnam along with his friends, Madhukar Banuri and Santosh, who are also on the Teach for India team. The party was at the Balwant Phadke municipal school in Wanowrie and nearly 500 children participated. This was the second of a series of events being coordinated by the eCoexist team, a social enterprise that has been promoting natural Holi colours in Pune for the past several years.

The natural colours Rang Dulaar were sponsored by Vikram Potdar, of Suzlon and Namita Thapar of Emcure Pharmaceuticals, and were distributed free of charge to the children.

The children were educated about the need to use natural colours only and about the importance of recycling plastic bottles.

Also, pichkaris made out of waste bottles were given to them. These pichkaris were a pilot project taken up along with the ragpickers of SWaCH who recycled waste plastic bottles according to a design offered by Sri Arvind Gupta, scientist at Pune University.The project was supported by a sixteen year old young girl, Shruti Gogia who offered her prize money towards this work!

eCoexist is helping to organise six such events across town at the PCMC Municipal school, Pimpri, Blind Girls school, Kothrud, Blind boys school, Koregaon Park, Vidya Jyoti school for slow learners, and for slum kids through the NGO Swadhar in addition to the one held this morning. This will ensure that children who may otherwise not be able to afford to play Holi have a safe and joyous celebration.

The natural colours will be available for distribution until Rang Panchami on the 6th March. They have been made by women farmers out of turmeric, are packaged in the Yerawada Jail by prisoners and are available in stores all across town. The Rang Dulaar project ensures that several groups of people earn an income and that a safe and a completely natural product is avaliable to urban residents for Holi!

Our events:

PCMC Municipal school 26 Feb, Pimpri, Sunil Pote, 9226921088

Vidya Jyoti school for slow learners, Sadashiv Peth, 5th March, Friday, 9.30 to 10.30, Anjali Kothari, 9850844724

Balwant Phadke municipal school, 27 Feb 10.00 am Venkat Gunnam, 9049949666

Home and school for blind boys, Koregaon Park, 6th March 3.00 pm, Yamini Deshpande, 9096380941

Home and school for blind girls, Kothrud, 6th March, 3.00 pm, Yamini Deshpande,

Swadhar Resource center, Anjali Bapat, 9822103900

The sponsors:

Namita Thapar

Emcure Pharmaceuticals

Vikram Potdar, Suzlon

Shruti Gogia

Lolita Gupta

Rohit Kanaglekar

Monique von Allmen

Would you like to sponsor a party for Rang Panchami - colours are still available!!!