On the evening of 16 July, a blackboard at the Lotus Branch of I Light Global filled up with chalk. Not with a lesson plan. With an invitation.
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ART CAMP YATRA. A journey of migrant child. Underneath, a list of names: Dalip Chandola, Pulkesh Mandal, Manohar, Varun. Guests, invited into a room usually held by the children themselves. Five o’clock to seven, one evening set aside to look at what a year of drawing, sketching, and quiet attention had produced.

By the time the balloons went up around that same blackboard, the room had filled with the young artists themselves, seven of them standing together for a photograph, the chalk illustration of a child looking out toward distant hills still visible behind them. Some of them wore matching t-shirts. All of them were smiling the particular smile of people about to show their work to someone who asked to see it.

​What Was on the Walls
The sketchbooks laid out for the camp told more than one story at once.

There was a boy drawn mid-motion, hammer in hand, breaking rock beside a stone pile, a scene of labour rendered in careful pencil, the same kind of watching-and-remembering that has shown up again and again in this programme’s art.

There was a portrait in sepia, a face resting against a folded arm, eyes closed, drawn with a softness that pencil labour scenes don’t usually get.

There was a woman behind a shop counter, colour markers filling in a wall of packets and jars behind her, the everyday geography of a small business rendered in bright, confident yellow.

There was a branch of fruit, careful shading turning three simple circles into something that looked almost lit from within. And there was a still life of stacked books beside a small vase and a candle, ordinary objects, but drawn with the kind of patience that only comes from someone who has decided this object, this arrangement, this quiet corner, is worth getting right.
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Side by side, these pieces are not one story. They are many. A childhood that includes labour. A childhood that also includes rest, and colour, and shopfronts, and books, and fruit ripening on a branch. Art Camp Yatra did not ask these children to be only one thing on the page.

Why “Yatra”
A yatra is a journey, often one with a destination that matters as much spiritually as physically. Calling this camp a yatra was not incidental. For a migrant child, journey is not a metaphor. It is the literal, repeated fact of their life, one place left, another arrived at, again and again, often faster than school records or friendships can keep pace.

This camp gave that same word back to the children on different terms. Not the journey of being moved. The journey of making something, sketch by sketch, session by session, until a body of work existed that could be laid out on a rug and photographed, shown to guests, held up with pride.

We gave them paper. We gave them crayons. We asked them to draw a robot. We didn’t expect them to draw our mission back to us.
🏆 Laksh, a migrant child from our Gurugram field site, won First Prize. He drew an AI robot standing under a tree, holding an open book, teaching four children sitting cross-legged on the ground. A signboard reads - I Light Global. He drew our entire vision without being asked.
🥉 Rita, age 10, Class 7, migrant child from Madhya Pradesh, won Third Prize. She drew an AI robot seated at a desk, typing on a laptop, connected to a digital interface. A child who has never owned a computer -drawing the future she intends to be part of.
💙 These children share small rooms. They crossed states for survival. They carry the invisible weight of displacement every single day.
But give them a crayon and a moment of safety - and they imagine everything.
This is what I Light Global exists for. Not to speak for these children. To make sure the world finally listens to them.
🌍 Every child carries a future. We just help clear the path.
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Every child deserves a safe, healthy, and nurturing environment. As a volunteer with I Light Global, I work with a passionate team devoted to protecting and advancing children’s rights. Together, we aim to build a world where every child can learn, grow, and achieve their full potential.

Children’s rights are not privileges. They are basic human rights that guarantee safety, education, health, and dignity. When these rights are protected, children gain the foundation they need to become responsible, capable adults who contribute meaningfully to society.

​Access to education without discrimination, Protection from exploitation and abuse, Access to healthcare and nutrition, Participation in decisions that shape their lives.

​Despite global efforts, many children continue to face difficult realities, millions lack access to proper education, Malnutrition remains a leading cause of preventable deaths, child labor robs many of their childhood, violence and neglect continue to threaten physical and mental well-being.

I Light Global focuses on practical and sustainable action. Our initiatives aim to:

• Advocate for stronger child protection policies.
• Collaborate with local communities to promote education and healthcare access.
• Raise awareness through campaigns and outreach programs.
• Encourage children to speak up and become active participants in change.
• Through workshops, awareness drives, and partnerships, we work to ensure that children’s voices are heard and respected.

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​Every step counts. You can contribute by:
​Volunteering your time and skills, supporting our ongoing projects, sharing our mission with your community, and speaking up for children’s rights in local and national discussions.
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Children are the future, and their future depends on the actions we take today. Join I Light Global in our mission to protect and empower children everywhere.
​

When I joined I Light Global, one of the things that moved me most was seeing the photos and stories that teachers and volunteers share from their art lessons with migrant children. I haven’t been in the classroom myself, but I often look at the children’s drawings and each post feels something truly special. You can see joy, pride, and a quiet confidence shining in those young eyes. And that made me think deeply about how art helps children build self-esteem, how something as simple as a drawing can become a step toward believing in themselves again.

For many migrant children, life has not been simple. They’ve experienced big changes, uncertainty, and sometimes loss. In this context, art becomes more than just an activity; it becomes a safe and beautiful way to rebuild confidence. A blank page offers freedom, a space where they can make something that belongs completely to them. They choose the colors, the shapes, the story. No one tells them it’s wrong. That small freedom gently whispers, “You are capable. You can make something beautiful with your own hands.”

What moves me most is how art gives children visible proof of their ability. When they finish a drawing or painting, they can look at it and think, “I did this.” It might sound simple, but for a child who has felt powerless or overlooked, that realization is powerful. Step by step, line by line, they start to believe in their own ideas and in their own worth — not because someone gives it to them, but because they create it themselves. 

Art also teaches patience and pride. Children learn that good things take time, that something wonderful can grow if they stay with it. And when a teacher or volunteer notices their work, when someone looks closely, smiles, and says, “That’s beautiful,” or “Tell me about your picture,” you can see their faces change. Their eyes light up, their posture straightens, and they smile with pride. In that moment, they feel seen, valued, and proud of who they are.

​In all these shared moments from the art lessons, I see much more than paper and paint. I see confidence growing quietly, trust being rebuilt, and children learning that they have a voice and a spark that no one can take away. ​

Art may seem simple, but it holds a deep power. It helps children rediscover the courage to say, “I can.” It reminds them that their ideas matter, their efforts matter, and that they matter, too. 

​Introduction: I Light Global is a U.S.-based charity founded by Dr. Rajeev and renowned Indian artist Dalip Chandolia, beginning with art projects for children who were out of school. The initiative was initially met with skepticism, as using art to encourage children to return to education was a new and experimental idea.

When I first met with Dr. Rajeev and Tatiana at I Light Global, Dr. Rajeev explained that some people doubted the value of the art lessons offered to migrant children, not because the lessons or methods were lacking, but because they believed the children should focus on learning to read and count. Of course, reading and math are essential for any child’s education, but art also holds a special place in nurturing creativity and emotional growth. After witnessing firsthand the beautiful, caring, and inspiring work the volunteers and teachers were doing with the children, I was deeply moved. That experience inspired me to write this article.

Art, a way of connection between migrant children and the volunteers and teachers.

One of the greatest strengths of art is its simplicity, it demands only curiosity, time, and a space to create. For communities where opportunities are limited, for migrant children, art classes can be very important. They offer children a place to belong, a place of equality, a place where you can tell your story through art, a place to express yourself and to discover your desires, and most importantly a place to connect.

For us adults, volunteers and teachers, art becomes a beautiful way to listen, not through interrogation and correction, but through observation. A teacher who looks closely at a child’s drawing learns to read more than lines and colors; they learn to recognize emotion, imagination, and longing. At that moment, the adult is not an authority figure, but someone who says, “I see you” , “ I understand you” , “ I feel you”.

This kind of listening for us volunteers, strange people for them, is powerful and essential because it creates connection without pressure. A child who cannot find words for sadness might paint a storm, rain, to use a lot of cold colors, straight lines or not to use colors at all. One who dreams of safety might draw a house surrounded by trees. A child who dreams and is optimistic, uses a lot of warm and bright colors, sun and rainbow. And most importantly, through these moments of creation and connection, the children begin to trust that their voices matter, even when they are not spoken aloud. And most importantly, through these moments of creation and connection, the children begin to 2 trust that their voices matter, even when they are not spoken aloud. And most importantly, through these moments of creation and connection, the children begin to trust that their voices matter, even when they are not spoken aloud. And most importantly, through these moments of creation and connection, the children begin to trust that their voices matter, even when they are not spoken aloud. They confirm that the child’s inner world matters and that their emotions and desires are worthy of attention.

For many children, especially for migrant children, the volunteer who encourages their creativity becomes more than just their teacher, but a listener and a mentor who discovers the child’s inner world. Art classes at I Light Global, is more than just drawing, it is a quiet dialogue between us, the volunteers and the migrant children. And most importantly the children begin to trust that their voices matter, even when they are not spoken aloud.

After that, a teacher from Germany, Ms. Tatiana, joined the class through a video call. She asked the children questions in English, showed them pictures from a book, and talked about different animals. She asked them to identify the animals and encouraged them.

Later, I had brought chocolates for the children, and we happily ended the class session by distributing them. The children were very happy with this session.

I hope more volunteers will join us and connect to the needs of children. We can be contacted via email - ilightcmns@gmail.com.

The branch is under the caring support of Rekha Dogra

I Light Global currently operates across India and has around 20 branches.

The number keeps growing as soon as we get a sponsor for a new space (someone offers a room in the house, a cabinet in the office, or a space in the garden)
and a volunteer feeling inspired to make the life of underprivileged children better.

At I LIGHT GLOBAL it is all about the children! But with this set of posts we would like to also show appreciation to the adults with big hearts who make this project possible 👋