Teenager sells brownies, buys wheelchairs for old-age home

Vaibhav Ganjapure | TNN | Jul 11, 2020, 04:30 IST

Nagpur: Defying common perception that teenagers misuse social media, some of them are putting it to good use to help needy people.
Sanjali Ladha, a Std XII student and resident of Khare Town, baked brownies at home during the lockdown period and took to Instagram to sell 164 boxes to friends, relatives and others, which fetched her Rs82,000. She then bought four wheelchairs and one cardiac monitor for the shelter home for elderly run by Jeevan Suraksha Charitable Society on Wednesday.
“Initially, I had thought of donating masks and sanitizers to civic workers. However after some research, I realized that the ones who are the most vulnerable to the pandemic are elderly persons at shelter homes and the orphans,” says the 17-year-old.
Sanjali, studying at The International School Bangalore, started baking as a hobby while staying home after the first lockdown was announced. When the lockdown was extended and reports started pouring in about hardships being faced by poor people, she decided to give it back to society by raising funds for the needy.
“I decided to buy medical equipment for the shelter home which is near to my residence. They not only look after elderly and terminally-ill but also help financially weak people and those who can’t take care of elders at their home,” she says.
“I am satisfied and getting a feeling of sharing responsibility towards society through this little effort,” she says, adding that Jeevan Suraksha still needs one more cardiac monitor along with 10 wheelchairs and plastic chairs each.
Her father Gaurav Ladha, who runs a packaging unit at Butibori, and homemaker mother Divya, say their daughter started baking in May and perfected the art of making brownies, cookies and chocolate cakes in a short time.
“It was entirely her initiative which we supported. She started making brownies for this initiative on June 19 and completed 184 boxes in just nine days. We are happy that she decided to utilize her time for a noble initiative,” say her parents.