Do you have toys that your kids have outgrown or discarded or cluttering your house? Then the Eureka Toy Joy Drive, a toy donation project for underprivileged children by Chennai-based NGO Aid India is the answer to your problems.

Gowri P S, the project director of Aid India, Chennai tells The Covai Post, “We conceived this project about six months ago. Our aim is to collect around one lakh toys and distribute it to underprivileged children in villages and tribal areas by November 2019. We chose villages because most of our other welfare projects are being done in Chennai’s suburbs. So far we have collected around 12,000 toys.”

She says that collected items included soft toys, dolls, teddies and stuffed animals, puzzles, play cycles and other items. “We make sure to sort the toys and choose only those in good condition. The damaged ones are discarded. We canvass for them at apartment blocks, corporate offices, schools, clubs and other public areas. Donors can drop them at our office and or send online through Amazon and Flipkart. We collect them personally if the toys are too many. Volunteers are also invited to join for segregation, distribution and transportation. So far we have distributed 12,000 toys in the villages surrounding Chennai,” she adds.

In Coimbatore, Gayathri Purushottaman, who joined the project with her friend a fortnight ago says, “At first, I donated toys, now I am spreading the word among friends, schools and other contacts. So far we have got 5,000 toys, but I am looking for a place to store, segregate and pack the toys for distribution. We welcome volunteers. We have also tied up with Young Indians Initiative, Coimbatore Chapter, as they are doing a lot of work in the tribal villages here.”
Young Indians Initiative is an integral part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). She adds that Young Indians have helped spread the message faster.

Aid India is also asking for more volunteers and donors to achieve its target and make at least one lakh children own a nice toy by the end of this year. Their Chennai phone number is 044-28602308 and Gayathri’s contact number in Coimbatore is 9894767340.