Take 50 excitable, shrieking children.

Put them in a cottage by the beach.

Throw in games, singing, dancing, swimming and a whole lot of eating

Add a dash of friendship and self-discovery.

What you get is:

50 children who don’t want to return home.

And some very exhausted but equally thrilled teachers.

Aksa Camps

Initiated in 2001, the 3-day camps at Aksa have probably contributed in a big way towards excellent report cards and high attendance at school. In fact, a mere mention of the camp gets homework done doubly fast. With space offered at a concession by the J.J. Hospital Nursing Association , the camps are an excellent getaway for children who’ve seen only the ugly side of the street, the slum and the construction site. Surrounded by palm trees and lapping waves, the children enjoy the unadulterated thrills of childhood.

Apart from camps, children are also taken on excursions to places of interest - a milk colony, a post office, a biscuit factory and their all-time favourites, Esselworld and Fantasyland.

On a regular basis, volunteers also involve children in games and craft, with some of them even taking them rock-climbing.

The Mentorship Programme

In 2001, the Magic Bus trundled into Sunbeam. And fun has never been the same again…

Magic Bus is an NGO which organises camps and recreation programmes for children, not just as a means of entertainment but as an invaluable part of character building.

The Mentorship Programme is a unique venture, which consists of weekly sports sessions, one-day excursions and outdoor camps. The children are divided into age groups to form the Explorers (ages 7-9), the Challengers (ages 10-14) and Voyagers (ages 15-18).

With Magic Bus staff as mentors, the children participate in sessions on creativity, confidence and team building, which infuse healthy interaction and a competitive spirit.

280 children from Sunbeam are part of this Mentorship programme. And we hope that by the time they are 18, they will be brimming with confidence, skills and experience of a fully rounded education to help them succeed in any career that they choose.