HYDERABAD: Inspired by the actions of 100-year-old UK veteran Captain Sir Thomas Moore who raised over 30 million for UK’s National Health Service (
NHS
) to fight the
coronavirus pandemic, a five-year-old
Telugu
boy in Manchester has started a campaign to raise funds to support similar efforts in India. Aneeshwar Kunchala, who started the campaign on May 27, has raised Rs 2.6 lakh till now.
“India is a giant country where a lot of people like me live. The coronavirus has infected a lot of people and they need money to buy food and medicines. Doctors too need equipment to help patients which they do not have. That is why I am raising lots and lots of money for the country,” Aneeshwar told STOI. The campaign has been a feat for him too – he says he began cycling using stabilisers, but now does not need them.
When Moore’s efforts were shown on TV, Aneeshwar asked his father Anil, a software professional, what the veteran was doing. “When I explained that he was raising money for healthcare workers, my son said he too wanted to do something similar,” Anil said.
What followed was a cricket campaign for the NHS which raised Rs 3 lakh.
But, Aneeshwar felt he had needed to do more as he began hearing of Covid-19 cases rising in India. Helped by his father, who hails from Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, he began a fresh campaign ‘Little Pedallers Aneesh and His Friends’ on social media platforms.
Almost 60 children have raised Rs 2,60,000. On Saturday, Aneesh completed cycling 100 km by himself. Together, the kids aim to finish 3,200 km. The campaign has spread across the UK, United States and India, with both children and donors joining in.
His mother, Sneha said the cycling challenge seemed like a good way to alleviate the hardships of people back home while helping young kids connect to their homeland and improve their own mental and physical well-being.
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