Gasps of awe filled the bus as seven students from Nagpur peeped out of the windows and watched the Worli Sea Link stretch out before them, with the vast ocean on either side. One of the students Shreya Gajbhiye wondered, “How is this bridge standing in the middle of the water?”
It was a very special day for her, Raj Gautam, Shriyansh Vaidya, Kalyani Marbate, Shivani Bhardwaj, Mahir Shah and Vansh Nikhare, as they boarded a plane for the first time and spent a whirlwind day in Mumbai, thanks to Sapno Ki Udaan (Flight of Dreams), a project of the Rotary Club of Nagpur Green City, RID 3030.
The project began 18 months ago when the club adopted these seven students from Classes 10, 11, and 12, mentoring them through the year with books, career counselling, medical checkup and personality development sessions. They were also invited to club meetings, giving them exposure to new environments, inspiring role models and a glimpse of how professionals work together to achieve goals. The club arranged all logistics for their participation.
The culmination of these efforts was a one-day trip to Mumbai, chosen over Delhi due to its proximity and its reputation as the ‘City of Dreams.’ “The club felt Mumbai matched the spirit of Sapno Ki Udaan — giving the children a chance to see a new world in just one day, flying out in the morning and returning home by night. We wanted the children to experience the excitement of flying and see a city that represents both ambition and opportunity,” says club president Chaitra Salankar.
Preparations for the trip began weeks in advance. The club arranged flight tickets, meals and local transportation, while also planning an itinerary that would provide the youngsters with a mix of learning and leisure, from historical landmarks to the seaside. Salankar even made a detailed recce of Mumbai earlier to time the stops, ensuring the children could experience as much as possible in a single day without feeling rushed.
On the morning of the trip (June 4), the children arrived at the Nagpur airport in matching maroon Rotary T-shirts. “I felt nervous at the security check,” admits Shivani Bhardwaj. “But then I realised everyone was going through the same process, and that made me relax.”
“When I held the boarding pass in my hand, I could not stop smiling… I had a ticket to fly,” says Mahir Shah.
Shriyansh Vaidya pulled out his phone for a quick selfie with the Air India crew. “They were so kind to us, it felt like we were special guests,” he says.
Landing in Mumbai, the children were struck by the sheer scale of the metro. From the airport bus “we were pointing excitedly at the tall glass buildings, the flyovers and bridges that seemed to run forever, and the colourful billboards. Some billboards had video ads. I had never seen anything like that before. I didn’t know even posters could move,” says Vansh Nikhare.
“There were cars everywhere, yellow-black taxis, handcarts and also big luxury cars, I had only seen on TV. We even saw a Rolls-Royce stop next to a small tea stall. Two worlds side by side,” says Kalyani Marbate.
“In Mumbai, we first took them across the Bandra–Worli Sea Link, and then to Marine Drive,” says Salankar. At the Gateway of India, he had an impromptu idea to take the children into the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, just across the road. “It wasn’t planned, but we went in. The children looked around in amazement at the chandeliers and shops.” At the cake counter, they noticed a mango cake priced at ₹5,000 and tiny chocolates at ₹100. Buying the pastry wasn’t in the budget but Salankar encouraged them by telling them that “one day, you should come here as guests and not just visitors like us!”
At Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, “the children were amazed by the grand arches. Post lunch, we went to the Taraporewala Aquarium, where they watched colourful fish with shining eyes. Finally, we ended the day with ice creams at the Juhu Beach, with the children running barefoot on the sand and enjoying every moment.”
The project cost was about ₹1.5 lakh, sponsored by the club. This included the air tickets, local transportation, meals and entry tickets. Club members Padma Dethe and Manisha Choudhary along with the club president, accompanied the children to ensure their safety and comfort.
As the trip came to an end, “the children carried home not just photographs, but memories of seeing a whole new world. Yet, beneath all the excitement, their everyday reality was waiting for them. Many parents could not even afford the airport entry ticket to bring their autorickshaw inside to receive their children. But the happy and beaming children simply picked up their bags and walked out to meet their parents. For them, this is normal; but what really touched my heart was their acceptance and resilience,” adds Salankar.