Mumbai men turned broken Ganesha idols into 760 school desks for children

After the Visarjan ceremony, which marks the end of festivals filled with music, colors, and prayers, idol fragments remain along the coastline. In Mumbai alone, about 150 thousand plaster of Paris (POP) idols are immersed annually, generating nearly 675 tons of waste. Since plaster does not dissolve easily in water, most of the material remains after the festivities conclude.

Malhar Kaalambe questioned whether the leftover material could be used for something useful. He collaborated with an engineer from Gujarat, Dr. Binish Desai, to explore the possibilities of recycling these broken idols.

This pair developed a method for processing the plaster from the idols using Binish's patented 'Murticycle' technology. Instead of viewing the material as trash, they began transforming it into useful products. The process involves collecting the broken idols and separating the plaster; after processing, the material can serve as the basis for creating twelve different products.

From Bappa's Idol to a Child's School Desk

Over the past two years, this team has used more than 3200 kg of recycled plaster to make 760 school desks for children across Maharashtra. For children who might lack a suitable place to study, what was once part of a Ganesha idol has taken on a completely different function.

The desk provides them with a dedicated space for reading books, doing homework, and learning. Thus, the material left over from the festival finds application in classrooms and homes, supporting the child's education. Furthermore, this initiative benefits the environment: each desk helps save approximately 5457 grams of CO₂.

The idea is that Ganesha's journey should not end with Visarjan. Through such concepts, even remnants can become part of a new story. A broken idol can turn into a desk, and a desk into a learning space for a child, turning an environmental problem into an opportunity to create a community-benefiting product.

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thebetterindia.comSeptember 14, 07:30

Mumbai couple asks guests to bring stationery instead of sweets for charity benefiting 400 children

In celebration of the festival, Puja and Dipesh Dedhia in Mumbai have made an unusual request to guests: instead of traditional festive treats, they are asking people to bring notebooks, pencils, paints, or any other new, unused stationery supplies.

After the festivities conclude, these donations will be directed beyond their own home. The couple plans to use them to create stationery kits for approximately 400 students at Adivisi Ashram Shala in Hadavali, ensuring each child has fresh school supplies for the entire academic year.

For Puja and Dipesh, this is an extension of their Ganesh Chaturthi celebration traditions. Their approach to Bappa is eco-friendly: the immersion ritual is conducted at home, and the water from it, containing seeds, is then used to water their plants.

This year, they aim for the festival to extend beyond their home, transforming into stationery kits that will ultimately end up in children's school bags.

Constant Involvement

Puja, who is qualified as a chef and certified nutritionist, and Dipesh, who works as a banker, are the founders of the Matoshreee Foundation. For this couple, this initiative is not a one-time act of charity. Since July 2023, they have been preparing and distributing breakfasts to over 100 needy people from low-income groups every week.

What started as a small effort has turned into a regular weekly commitment. They have successfully completed 167 consecutive Sundays without missing a single one.

This belief that significant change is achieved through consistent participation is reflected in and shapes their Ganesh celebration.

From 40 Children Last Year to a Goal of 400

During Ganesh Chaturthi last year, Puja and Dipesh decided to add another type of offering to their celebrations. They collected 40 stationery kits for children from the underprivileged community. These included items that many of us might not consider when shopping: notebooks, pencil cases, paints, and other everyday school supplies.

However, how happy the children who received something of their own were deeply moved the couple. This year, they decided to think on a much larger scale. Their goal is to collect kits for about 400 students, including useful items such as notebooks, pencils, pens, paints, drawing albums, and geometry sets.

Nevertheless, preparing 400 kits is not an easy task. It requires coordination with suppliers, discussing requirements, monitoring supplies, and ensuring the delivery of everything needed to the children. Nevertheless, for Puja and Dipesh, every kit justifies all the effort if it helps one child feel slightly better prepared for learning.

How You Can Help—Even If You Are Not in Mumbai!

On September 14th and 15th, when friends and family visit the Dedhia home for Ganesh worship, the couple asks them to bring stationery instead of usual gifts. They accept new, unused stationery until September 20th.

Help can also be provided by those living far from Mumbai. Residents of other parts of Maharashtra, India, or even outside the country can contact Puja and Dipesh. The couple is ready to provide a list of necessary stationery items and supplier contact details, allowing supporters to coordinate their actions directly with the seller and contribute to creating one or more kits.

Since the offering to Bappa does not necessarily have to remain on the altar, it can become a new notebook in a child's hands, paints waiting to fill an album, or a geometry set packed in a school backpack for the coming year. For Puja and Dipesh, this is the essence of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebration: welcoming Bappa into their home while carrying the spirit of generosity beyond it.