Christmas is a time of festivity for the majority of Indians. It is frequently simply another day for thousands of homeless kids. This fact led to the creation of the 100 Santa Project, a project of the Sounds of Silence Foundation and CATKing Educare, which aims to bring happiness, inclusivity, and dignity to children who would not otherwise be seen or heard.

Over 10,000 disadvantaged, orphaned, visually impaired, hearing-impaired, and speech-impaired children nationwide will receive toys, school backpacks, art supplies, and festive goodies this Christmas from more than 100 volunteers costumed as Santa Claus. Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Noida, Bareilly, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Patna, Bhopal, Jodhpur, Gwalior, Anantapur, Varanasi, Indore, Saharanpur, and Ranchi are among the cities that are included in the programme. The 100 Santa Project is a volunteer-driven initiative that turns Christmas into a day of belonging for kids who don’t often get to experience it. It was started by the Sounds of Silence Foundation, India’s first technology-based NGO dedicated to empowering those who cannot hear or communicate.

The foundation was established by Sumit Singh Gandhi and operates at the nexus of inclusion and technology, creating tools that enable the hard of hearing to communicate effectively and engage with the outside world.

The world frequently seems far away and unreachable to a child who is deaf or mute. Building bridges between quiet and expression, loneliness and belonging, has always been the focus of our work,’ says Sumit Singh Gandhi, founder of the Sounds of Quiet Foundation. One of India’s most sincere community-led Christmas efforts has grown from what started six years ago with 256 donations in just seven days. Over 10,000 gifts were made last year alone, all thanks to the faith, confidence, and goodwill of volunteers.

College students, working professionals, and senior citizens—including a 73-year-old grandfather who dressed up as Santa to spread joy—are among the volunteers.

“I realised the spirit of Sounds of Silence had multiplied many times over when our volunteers suggested expanding the project to as many locations as possible,” said Sumit Singh Gandhi.