<h2>Homeward bound</h2>
Idols being packed for delivery ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi, on Thursday. Pic/Ashish Raje
<h2>Big impact for little ones</h2>
<img title="A signed bat by Sourav Ganguly" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/aug/Saurav-Ganguly-Bat.jpg" alt="A signed bat by Sourav Ganguly" /> A signed bat by Sourav Ganguly
The pandemic is going to have a lasting impact on the overall well-being of children, especially those from the marginalised sections of the society. In order to raise funds to support these kids, Child Rights and You (CRY) America, a partner of CRY India, is hosting a series of online auctions, with artworks, signed goodies and outfits by leading Indian names such as Manish Malhotra, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla, Murali Nagapuzha and Jehangir Sabavala, among others, going under the hammer from August 25.
<img title="A saree by Sabyasachi Mukherjee" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/aug/Sabysachi-saree.jpg" alt="A saree by Sabyasachi Mukherjee" /> A saree by Sabyasachi Mukherjee
"Usually, CRY America hosts a range of galas, and the auctions are a part of it. This time, we are taking the bidding online under the initiative Auction4CRY. It's only open to US donors, and mostpart of the proceeds will go towards CRY America's projects in India," shared Lipika Sharma, general manager, global operations - USA.
<h2>This is music to our ears</h2>
<img title="A still from the video of kids playing the violin" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/aug/girls-schiil.jpg" alt="A still from the video of kids playing the violin" /> A still from the video of kids playing the violin
Recently, Mumbai-based NGO Akanksha Foundation had shared a video of a practise session where some of its students are seen playing their violins, in rapt attention of their instructor, world-renowned violinist Mika Nishimura as they perform a composition of hers. Chitra Pandit, senior director, development and communications, shared that on August 28, Nishimura, who is also a volunteer teacher at Akanksha, will put up a musical performance with kids from the foundation and private schools.
<img title="Mika Nishimura" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/aug/Mika-Nishimura-with-the-kid.jpg" alt="Mika Nishimura" /> Mika Nishimura
"The performance is to raise funds for digital tablets to facilitate online learning among children who are struggling with access to digital devices. We believe in providing a holistic education that covers academics and extra-curricular activities. And so music, art, and sports are given the same priority as academics," Pandit told this diarist.
<h2>On a green note&nbsp;</h2>
<img title="Saplings that were planted" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/aug/hemal-planting.jpg" alt="Saplings that were planted" /> Saplings that were planted
In a meaningful way to mark late PM Rajiv Gandhi's birth anniversary that fell on August 20, the Mumbai Youth Congress held a Plant Trees, Save Lives programme. Ganesh Yadav, Mumbai Pradesh Youth Congress president said, "We have procured the saplings from different places, some from the civic authorities and others from elsewhere and are planting some ourselves at open grounds. We have a total of one lakh saplings; we intend to also distribute these saplings from house to house." A programme was held in Sion on Thursday that was a short take off to the sapling drive. A green, eco-friendly way to make a small difference.
<h2>Dishing out the stats</h2>
<img title="Zoato" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/aug/02D203603.jpg" alt="Zoato" />
There was a clear and present fear around the restaurant industry during the initial days of the pandemic. But that seems to be on the wane, according to the results of a survey that a food aggregator conducted recently. Most importantly, it says that there have been no transmissions of the virus through food delivery. Another significant finding has been that one in every five customers who would order food from a metropolitan city did so from a small town during the lockdown, meaning there has been a discernible migration of people from places like Mumbai and Delhi to where their homes are. Also, the industry is expected to hit pre-COVID levels of business in the next two to three months. One can only hope.
<h2>UNICEF honour for Indian publisher</h2>
<img title="Suzanne Singh" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/aug/Ms-Suzanne-Singh.jpg" alt="Suzanne Singh" /> Suzanne Singh
In 2019, UNICEF and Norway embarked on a journey to identify digital public goods for foundational literacy and early grade reading. And the good news is StoryWeaver, the digital repository of multilingual stories for children by Pratham Books, has become the first and only platform from the country to be bestowed the honour. This diarist caught up with Suzanne Singh, chairperson of Pratham Books, who shared, "We are delighted to be recognised by the Digital Public Goods Alliance as the first Digital Public Good from India for foundational literacy and early grade reading. StoryWeaver's endeavour is to address the global scarcity of books for children and arm every child with the power of knowledge and opportunity. By providing thousands of freely accessible storybooks in multiple languages, the platform has enabled educators to make classrooms and distance learning more engaging, libraries more diverse, and most importantly, make reading and learning fun for children."
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Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

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