Birthday in lockdown: 'My mother made this day special for me'

My mother made this day special for me'In spite of various restrictions due to the Covid-19 , my mother made my birthday a special one for me, writes Avani Arya (above), a Class 6 student of Bharti Public School, Mayur ViharDuring this ongoing lockdown period, my birthday could not be celebrated like previous ones. It was celebrated in a different way due to the Covid-19 restrictions. I was very upset on my birthday as my dad was not with me. He was abroad and could not come as international flights were not operational. I was cherishing the moments of my last birthday. This time we could not do all those things that we did in previous years. My mom felt that I was sad so she tried to do her best to make me happy. She made a delicious cake at home and decorated it beautifully. She also made my favourite dishes. We decorated the house with colourful balloons, ribbons and flowers. We did the cake cutting ceremony through video conferencing with my father and friends. In spite of various restrictions, my mother made it special for me. I would like to thank her and hope this pandemic ends soon and we can get back to our normal lives.'This year, I pledged to promote charity cause'We can help make the world a better place to live in, writes Yashika Goyal above) , a Class 11 student of Manav Sthali School, New Rajinder NagarIn these challenging times when the entire world is grappling with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, people are very anxious about their birthdays and festivities. We celebrate many occasions which are in the form of festivals like Diwali, Holi and personal occasions like birthdays.We have money so we throw parties and mostly enjoy them. On the occasion of my birthday, I feel that I am a fortunate girl. I have got everything that I wanted to have. All my needs are met. I've been asked a number of times over the recent week what I would like for my birthday, I've told them all the same thing, “I don't need anything for my birthday, I'm donating it to Charity: Water”, one of the leading non-profit organisations in the world, brings clean, safe drinking water to people in developing countries. Currently 800 million people, one out of every nine, drink water that may make them sick. Diseases from unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Safe clean drinking water provides a community with health, sanitation, …. opportunity. The need is great. Charity: Water Changes Everything currently uses 100% of all public donations to directly fund water projects. They have worked hard to redefine charity. Among the most basic needs of life, water tops the list (alongside air and nourishment). We cannot stand by and pretend the problem doesn't exist. The Earth is our planet and we have got an opportunity wherein we can change it. We only get a life to make a difference. I hope we can make our world a better place to live in. Encourage the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, it will make you more happy and light up your day.