Host a Festival of Lights Diwali Supper at your home and help raise much needed funds for HOPE’s vital work with Street Children in Kolkata
This year has been challenging and life has changed in so many ways, but what has not changed is the importance of spending time together with family.
Diwali is an Indian festival that brings families and friends together and fills homes with light, love and laughter. The word Diwali means ‘row of lights’, and the celebration is known as the Festival of Lights, and is one of the most beautiful and joyous times in the Indian calendar.
In these dark times, HOPE is inviting you to host your own special Diwali Supper at home and make a donation to HOPE and in so doing, bring light into a child’s life on the streets and in the slum communities of Kolkata.
How you can help
- Celebrate with your family (or household) and hold a special Diwali supper* on Saturday 14th. If you wish, you can use this flyer to promote the supper to others who may wish to participate from their own homes. DOWNLOAD FLYER
- Choose your menu. A suggested menu with delicious recipes from Rakhi Dasgupta’s forthcoming book Eating Kolkata is downloadable from here.
(Or you may prefer to choose your own dishes, or even order a take away!). - Dress up, decorate your table and light candles of HOPE – make it an occasion.
Our suggested theme is ‘sparkle, shimmer and shine Indian style’. - Use this Diwali celebration to reflect on HOPE’s work, and donate if you can, so that every child in HOPE’s care can also enjoy Diwali in Kolkata.
- Remember to share your photos from your celebration supper and tag us on social media #HOPEDiwali. Photos can also be emailed to maura@hopefoundaton.ie. The more colourful and vibrant your photos are, and the more they are inspired by India, the better they will be! HOPE will create a ‘HOPE Family’ photo album of Diwali Supper Clubs. **
*Hosted in compliance with current Government Covid-19 restrictions
** By sharing your photos you agree to HOPE using them for publicity to promote HOPE’s work and future similar events.
How your donation will help
Every donation will help to make a real and lasting difference to the lives of the most vulnerable:
- €2 will provide a special Diwali meal for one child in the care of HOPE in one of our Protection Homes.
(€522 will provide a meal for all 261 children currently in HOPE’s care). - €20 will feed a family of 5 for 2 weeks in Kolkata.
By getting involved in HOPE events and activities, you will change lives and help HOPE to realise its vision of “a world where it should never hurt to be a child”.
Suggested Diwali menu by renowned chef and food writer Rakhi Dasgupta
Renowned chef and food writer, Rakhi Dasgupta, has given HOPE an exclusive preview of recipes from her exciting, forthcoming book, Eating Kolkata.
Rakhi has been operating Kewpie’s Kitchen in Kolkata since 1998, and is very well respected and known for her distinctive cuisine and love of Bengali food. Her mother was also a food writer and Rakhi, along with her father and sister, “decided to start an eating place [Kewpie] that served the kind of food our mother cooked and documented in her cookbooks”.
This Diwali menu has ‘suggested dishes’ for a Diwali Supper, which you may either make or which may provide you with inspiration for your Diwali celebration. You can download the menu here.
For more information on HOPE fundraising contact maura@hopefoundation.ie
For child sponsorship opportunities please contact fionah@hopefoundation.ie
