It’s not every day that you see your colleagues — usually dressed in office attire, typing away at emails, or rushing to and from meetings and work trips — decked out in sports gear and sprinting across a field! Nor is it common to hear a soft-spoken team member belt out a classic song, their voice earning cheers that linger long after the final note fades. But then again, Fun@25 was no ordinary day.
This special day marked the end of Naandi’s 25th year as one of India’s largest and most impactful NGOs. The organisers behind Fun@25 wanted to trade in typical formalities—long speeches and ceremonial gatherings — for something refreshing and different. Instead, they envisioned a day where to-do lists were set aside, hierarchies melted away, and everyone came together to compete, create, and connect. Fun@25 thus became a vibrant day of celebrations, featuring athletic and creative competitions and team-building events, attended by Naandi employees from across the country. To make participation accessible and convenient, six ‘cluster’ locations were selected to host the event separately — Araku, Amritsar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Varanasi. Each cluster served as a regional hub, inviting people from offices in nearby locations to travel to these central locations and join in the festivities.
Two months before the event was to take place, a group of organisers nominated to represent each cluster huddled together — virtually and a little secretively — to brainstorm a celebration that would resonate with every member of the Naandi family. What activities could inspire mutual appreciation and community spirit? Offering people a chance to challenge themselves physically, support their friends, and share their diverse (and maybe hidden) talents?
Six events made the final cut: three sports and three creative. The sports lineup — the 30-metre sprint, 3-minute endurance run, and standing long jump — drew direct inspiration from Toofaan Games, Project Nanhi Kali’s annual sports event showcasing the athletic determination of 170,000 young girls across India. Beyond spurring friendly competition, these races could let employees experience a slice of the grit and spirit that Nanhi Kalis bring to Toofaan Games each year. Take, for instance, the 3-minute endurance run, which involves running as many 30-metre laps as you can within 3 minutes. “Running for 3 minutes? That’s nothing…Right?”. Or so many would say. Oh, how wrong we were! As the seconds dragged on, the deceptively short run turned into a trial of stamina and willpower. By the end, gasping for breath, one cannot help but feel awestruck by all the Nanhi Kalis who do a 5-minute endurance run with unflinching endurance and determination in each step. To add to the excitement, the top three winners from each cluster’s sports events would be invited to compete in the Fun@25 finals hosted at Toofaan Games 2025 – a chance to earn the honour of standing on the same stage as the winning Nanhi Kalis from around the country.
The creative events — group dancing, solo singing, and a best recipe competition — focused less on competition and more on evoking enjoyment and camaraderie. These events were chosen to allow people to unleash dance moves (well-practiced or totally improvised), cheer on friends hitting high notes (or perhaps missing them), and showcase culinary skills through healthy, millet- and/or greens-based dishes that ranged from simple to sensational.
There is so much more to share about how Fun@25 evolved – the challenges clusters faced with planning, and the creative flairs that made each of their celebrations unique. So, stay tuned for Part 2 of our Fun@25 story. For now, we hope these words and photos spark memories of a celebration filled with energy, talent, and togetherness.
