Watch: Slum children in Bhubaneswar making eco-friendly rakhis on Chandrayaan-3 theme

After the successful soft landing of India’s lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, on the south pole of the Moon, the country has been celebrating the historic success in different ways. Amid the celebration of the remarkable success of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), children living in the slum areas of Odisha’s capital Bhubaneswar were seen making eco-friendly rakhis based on the theme of the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

Reportedly, the children are making the rakhis at the ‘Aama Pathshala’ centres of the Ashayen organisation, according to the news agency ANI.

In a video shared by ANI, children can be seen making rakhis reflecting different designs related to Chandrayaan-3.

 

“Every day, after school is over, these children come to our Aama Pathshala and make the Rakhis till the evening. Currently, more than 500 rakhis are made and sold out and the money that comes from selling is spent on their education,” said founder of Ashayen, Ratnakar Sahoo.

He added, “Instead of begging and rag picking, these children are leading a dignified life. I would like to request everyone to please buy their handmade rakhis and celebrate the success of ISRO and help these children to live a dignified life.”

Ratnakar Sahoo also mentioned that the craze of Chandrayaan-3 among the people is huge and the idea behind making these rakhis came from the kids only.

“We dedicate this year's Raksha Bandhan to the scientists of ISRO,” Sahoo said.

The children who are making the eco-friendly rakhis are using different types of waste materials along with cotton, wool and cornflour powder paste to prepare the rakhis. After making the final product, the children send them to housing colonies and local markets for sale. There are more than 70 such children who are making this eco-friendly Chandrayaan-3-themed rakhi at the Aama Pathshala to honour the efforts of the ISRO scientists and also to memorise the historic achievements of India.

Ashayen is a non-profit organisation that aims to upgrade the lifestyle of the children living in the slums for the past ten years in the capital city of Odisha. Ashayen has been currently working with 230 such children by creating community learning centres at five different locations in Bhubaneswar that ensure their education and overall development.