Is it right to celebrate our birthdays with the orphans?

The idea of celebrating our birthday, anniversary or any festival at an orphanage, old age home or a blind school seems enticing and puts a big smile on our face. It provides orphans with the chance to enjoy one evening with amazing food and sometimes presents from celebrities or even people like us.

We often think that by doing so, these children will feel happy and grateful and that it would make their life a little better. We think that it is a great approach with the intentions of some charity and goodwill but think it this way. What if someone you don’t know comes to your home and starts celebrating their birthday and you are forced to clap and smile at them. Seems weird right?

How do you think these children feel? What are their young minds going through when you thought to shower them with gifts and snacks when they don’t even know you?

…..And the craziest part is that this happens to them every weekend or so!

It has now become a trend to celebrate your birthday at orphan homes and brag about it on your Instagram or Facebook, just to show off or fake sympathy. We do not realize how these little things you thought could help can affect the minds of these children.

People arrive wearing new clothes, with cake and gifts for all the children without realizing how these children are holding up their sentiments of not being able to get new clothes or cake, toys, fancy shoes or celebrate their own birthdays. The orphans, for whom this birthday evening was supposed to be fun and joyful are sitting in a corner, forcibly clapping for you or your child.

They are made to sing the birthday songs which they do so without any emotion as if it is their every weekend routine. Their manufactured smiles can be seen thoroughly in the pictures taken with them.

Many of the kids at these orphanages are abandoned by their family for social stigma and when they look at young children being pampered by their family, their eyes express a whole of emotions which they could not speak. They wish to be them, they wish someone celebrated their birthday like that.

Ask yourself whether celebrating your birthdays at an orphanage is providing them with a wonderful day or reminding them what they are really missing - their own birthdays?

It is devastating to see these children sitting and just looking at you with thousands of dreams that they know no one could fulfil. And by visiting and celebrating our birthdays at orphans’ homes, we make them feel more like orphans.

Hear us out and instead of celebrating your birthdays with them, why not celebrate their birthday with them? The biggest help you can do for them is by donating books, stationery, clothes, medical supplies, laptops, etc. DO NOT intentionally or unintentionally hurt their emotions but help them by providing the essential goods and donate money to orphanages, old age homes or blind schools so that responsible authorities can celebrate their birthdays with good food and music.