Bengaluru: Their names are Sneha Raghavan and Shloka Ashok. The class 10 students from Greenwood High International School in Bengaluru in a matter of 24 hours managed to raise Rs 2,14,000 to procure oximeters for the needy.
Egged on by a social worker Anupama Parekh, the two girls collected information on oximeters rates, compared the price in the market, found out about the availability, prepared posters and set up a fundraiser on GiveIndia and sent the link to all our family and friends, requesting them for donations.
The effort bore fruit as donations started pouring in and within 24 hours the girls could collect more than Rs 2 lakh.
“It is extremely motivating to see such an overwhelming response to our initiative. We are extremely grateful to all the donors who participated and contributed to our fundraiser,” says Sneha.
“This initiative has taught me how your one single act of random kindness can have a huge impact on someone’s life,” she adds.
The girls are now distributing 200 oximeters to the needy in in slums in Bengaluru and among rural women in villages across Koppal, a city in North Karnataka. They work closely with NGO Sampark, a Bengaluru-based organization, which works with some of the most vulnerable groups.
During the whole process, the girls also immensely benefitted in negotiation skills, understanding logistics and how the market functions. They were given a list of manufacturers as well as distributors who they contacted to get the prices, negotiated on discount, made amends when the supply was short and simultaneously interacted with the NGO.
Niru Agarwal, Trustee, Greenwood High International School said, “We believe that only by active collaboration between all the members of the society, we will be able to overcome the impact of this pandemic.”
