Continuing its tradition to initiate socially responsible campaigns during the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, a big festival in India’s western State of Maharashtra, ABP Majha has launched a special donation drive called ‘Bappa Majha Dukhharta Balkancha’ in partnership with child rights NGO Child Rights and You (CRY).

This initiative will encourage the viewers of ABP Majha to generously donate to the cause of helping young children who have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, especially those who have been orphaned, abandoned or lost a parent or kids whose education, safety and overall well-being have been impacted, an official statement from ABP network said.

In Maharashtra, approximately 15,051 children have lost either one or both parents to COVID-19  making it one of the worst hit States for children.

‘Bappa Majha Dukhharta Balkancha’ has been planned to address the problems faced by the children.

The channel has planned an elaborate set of activities surrounding this initiative. The ‘Bappa Majha Dukhharta Balkancha’ drive will be raising funds for this cause through a 17-day TV campaign.

The programming will run from September 3-19, 2021 on the Marathi news channel and would feature stories of children who have been impacted due to COVID-19, encouraging the viewers to donate wholeheartedly.

Bappa Majha drive has been leading the charge for the Ganesh Utsav festival since 2010. In fact, last year ABP Majha, in collaboration with UNICEF, initiated a special donation drive to support the families affected by the pandemic. The funds raised via this campaign were  used to support vulnerable families through UNICEF’s Jeevan Rath initiative (A relief and response on wheels) in Maharashtra.

This year, the channel has planned a host of special programming right through the festive month, which will have a ‘Pre-Ganpati Preparation Capsule’, highlighting eco-friendly Ganpati making and decoration ideas, live morning and evening  aarti broadcast, and daily Ganpati Akhyaan and Ganpati Pooja.

A special 30 minute feature of the Ganpati Pooja will also be telecast on September, 10 2021.

ABP Majha also has created fun and interactive ways for its viewers to participate in the channel’s programming during the festive season by organising a ‘Gharghuti Contest’ where viewers can send pictures of their Ganpati celebrations. The top 10 participants of this contest will feature daily on the news channel and receive gift certificates.

Speaking about this campaign, Avinash Pandey, CEO, ABP Network, said, “We are pleased to be partnering with CRY for this year’s Ganesh Chaturthi campaign. This partnership makes this year’s celebration even more enriching. We are committed to our longstanding pledge of being in service of the needy.

“Through this special programming, we are aiming to gather donations for the welfare of children who are the future of our country. COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the growth of our children, and we are happy to be able to do our bit to help nurture them.”

Sharing her thoughts on the partnership, Kreeanne Rabadi, Regional Director-West, CRY, said, “We are extremely grateful to ABP for their support. This partnership will certainly help us promote our cause and generate critical funds to benefit children. The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic not only has had a devastating impact on people from all walks of life, but has had a catastrophic impact on the lives of children too. Now, with the support of ABP, and the generosity of its viewers, we will be able to continue our efforts to ensure children lead happy and healthy lives.”