Bhubaneswar: It’s rightly said, “For it is in giving that we receive.” The volunteers at Bhubaneswar-based Bakul Foundation experienced surreal joy on Tuesday as they treated slum children with a sumptuous, mouth-watering barbeque buffet.
When everyone was relishing good food with their families at home and food joints during this festive season, the volunteers at Bakul Foundation took 100 slum children to Barbeque Nation in Gajapati Nagar here and treated them to an appetising buffet.
This celebration at Barbeque Nation was a part of the Bakul Foundation’s Daan Utsav celebrations. ‘Daan Utsav’ also called ‘the Joy of Giving Week’ is celebrated every year from October 2 to 8.
The founder of Bakul Foundation and a volunteer of Daan Utsav, Sujit Mahapatra motivated his friend and former student Rahul Agarwal, the CEO of Barbeque Nation to become a volunteer for Daan Utsav.
This year, the Bakul Foundation decided to encourage children from nearby slums, who visit the Bakul Library regularly to gain knowledge, by giving them a treat and Barbeque Nation agreed to host 100 such children.
These children, who come from slums in Shanti Nagar, Raj Kumar Basti, Baya Baba Basti, and Rickshaw Colony were taken to Barbeque Nation in a bus arranged by the Commissionerate Police.
The children were treated to an assortment of chicken, fish, and prawn kebabs, along with chicken biryani, fish and mutton curry, and a variety of desserts.
When Sujit asked 11-year-old Pradeep Nayak from Baya Baba Basti, what he would like to eat at the restaurant, he replied, “Chicken Kebab”.
His friend Srabani had said, “Chicken Biryani”.
Ritesh Kumar Bisoi from Raj Kumar Basti said, “We are so so so happy. Thank you Thank You Thank you so much”.
In 2022, Barbeque Nation treated 200 children from underprivileged communities at their 200 restaurants in India including Bhubaneswar.
