Residents raise Rs 13,000 in an hour to help needy kids with uniforms

BENGALURU: When residents of

Langford Town

in central Bengaluru received a WhatsApp message on Wednesday morning about needy schoolchildren requiring help to stitch uniforms, community members swung into action and raised the required amount in just an hour.

While 65 students of Government Tamil Higher Primary School (classes 1-7) had got the fabric from the government, they had no money to get them stitched into uniforms. Stitching a single uniform costs Rs 200, an amount many parents from economically weaker sections would think twice before spending.

Desperate to help, SJ Muralidhar, a retired engineer living in Moyenville Road, posted a message requesting donations on the WhatsApp group of Richmond and Langford Town Citizens’ Welfare Association around 10am.

“We raised Rs 13,000 in an hour, with many pledging to contribute for more than one child. Theses students are children of domestic workers, auto drivers and daily wagers. This is a small gesture to help them,” said the 65 year old.

Unable to get their uniforms stitched, these children have been attending school in casual wear; some have been using their old uniforms. The official uniform is light blue shirts coupled with dark blue pants for boys and skirts for girls.

Rajan Bhavnani, another resident of Langford Town, said he hoped the gesture would raise the morale of these kids. “I just donated for the sake of the kids. I hope this will teach them that there is still hope for them in this world and that help can come from anywhere. These children come from troubled homes. So, this is one way of helping them out,” he said.

Donations were accepted through Paytm, netbanking and even cheques. Muralidhar spent the day collecting money, which will soon be handed over to the parents. He said they would look at helping out the students in other areas like improving their spoken English, teaching them kitchen gardening and composting and renovating the façade of the school building.