Eco Park, India - Travel Journal
Every time a customer books one of our vacations and opts in to our Trip for a Trip scheme, we organise a day trip for a disadvantaged young person somewhere around the world to see their local tourist sites, often for the first time.
Responsible Travel customers are helping disadvantaged children, many of which were former child labourers from the slums of Kolkata and could not imagine a life with fun and frolic but after their involvement with Tiljala Society for Human and Educational Development (Tiljala SHED) many such lives have been transformed and they are now going to school.
Trip to Eco Park, New Town, Kolkata - 10th March 2023:
107 children accompanied by 13 escorts from the cities most deprived areas and living a life of daily hardships were picked up by two private buses to take them for a day trip to Eco Park located near New Town, Action Area II, Kolkata, India. This park is one of the largest open spaces in the city, spread across 480 acres.
The children had been really looking forward to this trip.
Lunch boxes containing biryani (a mixed rice dish made with spices and meat that the children love) and water bottles were given to the kids.
At around 1:30 p.m. the children along with their minders headed into the Eco Park. Due to the huge size of the park, the minders had to keep a careful watch over them. The children were taken to the lake inside the park for a Mini Cruise Ride on Santa Monica Cruise ship. The children enjoyed the cruise which lasted for 45 minutes. For most of the children this was their first ever ride on a cruise ship.
Next they headed to the toy train ride which was equally thrilling. Turn by turn, the kids went onto the half an hour train ride which was very exciting. The train toured almost the entire Eco Park and the children shouted with joy and amusement.
There are many things to see and experience inside the park. Notably the bamboo garden, butterfly garden, rose garden, herbal garden, musical fountain, fruit garden and tea garden. Romping about, the children had the best time which they will always remember.
Many children were seen racing with each other and singing along with the musical fountain which was an important attraction for these children. We divided the groups so that it would become easy for the escorts to manage the children. The children were dancing and singing while walking around the Eco Park.
Last but not the least, the children were shown the replica of the 7 wonders of the world - the children went inside the replicas of the Taj Mahal, Pyramids of Egypt, The great Wall of China, Petra (Jordan), Christ the Redeemer, The Colosseum and Moai statues of Easter Island (monolithic human heads). Our children just loved this section, not only was it entertaining it also exposed them to the wonders which they could dream of seeing one day. During the tour, we taught them about the 7 wonders of the world and the history behind them.
Sauntering through the park, free from the dust and pollution of the city, it was like being in a soothing oasis in the middle of a desert. On the whole the kids had a great time and many did not want to leave as they wanted to spend some more time in this extraordinary huge park. The children were given adequate refreshments in the evening and water and fruit juice.
Responsible Travel customers are helping disadvantaged children, many of which were former child labourers from the slums of Kolkata and could not imagine a life with fun and frolic but after their involvement with Tiljala Society for Human and Educational Development (Tiljala SHED) many such lives have been transformed and they are now going to school.
107 children accompanied by 13 escorts from the cities most deprived areas and living a life of daily hardships were picked up by two private buses to take them for a day trip to Eco Park located near New Town, Action Area II, Kolkata, India. This park is one of the largest open spaces in the city, spread across 480 acres.
The children had been really looking forward to this trip.
Diary of the day:
It was past noon when the bus arrived near the gates of the Eco Park, the weather was mild so the children sat on a patch of green just outside the entry point.Lunch boxes containing biryani (a mixed rice dish made with spices and meat that the children love) and water bottles were given to the kids.
At around 1:30 p.m. the children along with their minders headed into the Eco Park. Due to the huge size of the park, the minders had to keep a careful watch over them. The children were taken to the lake inside the park for a Mini Cruise Ride on Santa Monica Cruise ship. The children enjoyed the cruise which lasted for 45 minutes. For most of the children this was their first ever ride on a cruise ship.
Next they headed to the toy train ride which was equally thrilling. Turn by turn, the kids went onto the half an hour train ride which was very exciting. The train toured almost the entire Eco Park and the children shouted with joy and amusement.
There are many things to see and experience inside the park. Notably the bamboo garden, butterfly garden, rose garden, herbal garden, musical fountain, fruit garden and tea garden. Romping about, the children had the best time which they will always remember.
Many children were seen racing with each other and singing along with the musical fountain which was an important attraction for these children. We divided the groups so that it would become easy for the escorts to manage the children. The children were dancing and singing while walking around the Eco Park.
Last but not the least, the children were shown the replica of the 7 wonders of the world - the children went inside the replicas of the Taj Mahal, Pyramids of Egypt, The great Wall of China, Petra (Jordan), Christ the Redeemer, The Colosseum and Moai statues of Easter Island (monolithic human heads). Our children just loved this section, not only was it entertaining it also exposed them to the wonders which they could dream of seeing one day. During the tour, we taught them about the 7 wonders of the world and the history behind them.
Sauntering through the park, free from the dust and pollution of the city, it was like being in a soothing oasis in the middle of a desert. On the whole the kids had a great time and many did not want to leave as they wanted to spend some more time in this extraordinary huge park. The children were given adequate refreshments in the evening and water and fruit juice.
Impact:
For the children this visit will be a memorable day in their lives. We can see happiness in their faces. The children are looking for many such opportunities in the future where they can forget their daily worries and have fun for a day, taking back home sweet memories shared with their peers and moral lessons which will have a positive impact in their lives. This unique program supported by Responsible Travel has no doubt helped all these children for their physical and mental wellbeing. Such events relieve them of the stress of their daily hardships. Tiljala SHED heartily thanks Responsible Travel for this unique program.More about our partner organisation:
Tiljala Society for Human and Educational Development (Tiljala SHED) is a voluntary organisation committed to promote the interest of at-risk children, Reproductive and Child Health, Women Empowerment, Institutional Care for Children, Literacy, Microfinance and to accelerate the concept of global village. Our mission is to bring meaningful changes in the lives of the marginalized and vulnerable communities living in slums, shanties and pavements.More about Trip for a Trip
- Read more about Trip for a Trip and other trips we've run.
- If you've booked a vacation via Responsible Travel, claim your booking gift to join our Trip for a Trip scheme.
