It is preternaturally tough being a child cooped up in a cancer ward, a typical day filled with syringes, scans and chemo, when it ought to have been filled with play, play and more play, the room generously scattered with carelessly thrown toys. Even in the cancer ward, a toy can open up a cheerful vista beyond those grey walls for that child receiving it. For some children, that simple joy is a luxury, poverty queering the pitch already ravaged by cancer. Voluntary organisations working with children battling the double whammy of cancer and poverty seek to make room for those vistas of joy, relying on donations of used toys.
This intervention is two-fold as the voluntary organisation works in tandem with donors of used toys. Those donors are “us”: the general public that could be holding on to toys outgrown by the children of the house, but not by the adults who harvest nostalgia from those playthings. No censure here for latching on to those toys that are no more played with. A choice could be made between making those used toys really useful again by donating them to these underprivileged children or buying these kids new toys. As a society, this intervention is required of us. And this Children’s Day is the time to start it.
Two initiatives at ICH Egmore
Examples of this intervention are to be found at the Government Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children (ICH), Egmore. Pephands Foundation, a voluntary organisation, runs what it calls PepCares Hub where play is promoted for these children with the help of volunteers as well as donors, particularly donors of toys. At pephands.org, a dedicated page invites old toys as donations to support its work among children with cancer in Chennai.
Also in ICH Egmore, there is what is called the Oncology Kitchen, being run by the voluntary organisation Myrtle Social Welfare Network (myrtleindia.org), to provide one nutritious meal from Monday to Friday to children undergoing cancer treatment at the hospital. In this manner, the NGO takes one worry off the parents’ plate. Williams, founder, notes that besides taking worries off the plate, his NGO is also focussed on placing joys in these children’s hands: toys, clothes and books.
Donations can be dropped off at three locations: the voluntary organisation’s Perambur office in Kennedy Square, Myrtle Women’s Shelter Home in Alwarpet, or at ICH’s A block, third floor. Williams emphasises that donated items should be in good condition, ensuring that children can really enjoy them.
A bank for toys
Early this year, The Toy Bank (toybank.in), headquartered in Delhi but active across India through partnerships with other NGOs and individual volunteers, lightened the murkiness engulfing the lives of children undergoing cancer in Chennai through what it calls the “giftofjoy” initiative. With the help of the Kodungaiyur-based Emmimah Charitable Trust (EMC Trust), it distributed toys and educational materials to underprivileged children battling cancer.
As one of its focus areas, EMC Trust works with children affected by cancer and accepts toys, books, and clothes for their young beneficiaries. According to Esther U, secretary of the trust, these gifts bring much-needed cheer to children spending a considerable amount of time in hospitals. The organisation regularly caters to around 80 young patients. The patients visit with their parents every month to collect the nutrition kits. For details, visit emctrust.org.
Online platforms
For those unsure about connecting directly with a voluntary organisation or want to have a wide choice of NGOS, online platforms might be the place to go. Among other things, they promote toy donations from the benefit of underprivileged children.
One such platform is Donateinkind.in which helps bridge the gap between prospective donors and NGOs. The website allows users to browse donation categories and find organisations across India, along with their addresses and contact details. It also features testimonials given by the users. They also provide guidelines for NGOs interested in getting listed. In the category “toy donation”, it entreats the public to “donate toys to children’s homes, toy banks and toy libraries run by Non Governmental Organisations”. For Chennai, it has listed ‘Toys for Tots’ Drive by HAPPY HANDS Spreading Smiles, noting that volunteers connected with the NGO collect toys for toy libraries. It adds that so far, seven toy libraries have been set up at primary schools in Chennai.
Share At Door Step (shareatdoorstep.com) is another platform that helps donors find a voluntary organisation engaged in a service they would like to support. In its bio, Share At Door Step (SADS) mentions toys among a prominent list of things that are donated for the welfare of the underprivileged. As its name implies, Share At Door Step provides the donor with the advantage of making the donation without leaving the comfort of their home. They can provide their location and seek a pickup slot. The website notes that a “convenience fee” would be applicable. Donors can also rack up what SADS calls “share points”, by which they are eligible for rewards, all of which are listed on the website.
So, this Children’s Day, let us give them their childhood back by making it a little less about what they are going through and a little more about what they deserve to experience. Let us remember that the United Nations has declared an International Day of Play (June 11), asserting every child’s right to play, irrespective of their station in life. UNICEF promotes this day. After all, every child deserves the freedom to play, the joy of discovering something new, and the magic of simply being a child. Poverty and cancer should not be allowed to obstruct the delivery of this right.
Published – November 07, 2026 08:43 pm IST
