Schoolkids on fund-raising spree to save ailing friend

KOLKATA: The city shows its heart of gold once again. With 10-year-old Jishnu, a Class-V student at Belghoria's Ariadaha Kalachand High School, fighting against leukemia, his classmates have started a fund-raising drive for their friend. Their belief that their savings could save Jishnu has inspired the senior students of the school, who have also pledged their support to the ailing boy.
The students, irrespective of class and age, roped in the school's headmaster in the initiative. The kids have already collected nearly Rs 20,000 with the help of schoolteachers within a few days, said Debi Prasad Majumdar, a senior teacher. Students are not hesitating to seek help of local people either. They are also urging them to approach their relatives and raise money for the little boy.
"One day, I was sitting in the teachers' room when four Class-V students came to me with the proposal. "'Sir, we want to do something for Jishnu immediately. Please allow us to collect money for him,' they told me. I was not only surprised with the immense feelings the little
ones had for their ailing friend, but was also amazed at their confidence and determination," said Majumdar. He soon took them to headmaster Tapas Sinha Roy who gladly permitted the great initiative.
Soon after taking permission from the headmaster, the students first started to contribute themselves by saving their tiffin expenses. Then, all Class-V students approached their parents and collected money from them for the fund. Students of other classes also joined in soon, as have schoolteachers who are guiding the students.
"We have just been admitted in Class V in this school. We were enjoying everything together in our new school. Jishnu is also our good friend who is not attending school now for his illness. We pray for his recovery," said Aniket Das, a classmate of the ailing boy.
Like Aniket, Soumya Chakraborty, Saptarshi Koley, Ananda Sharma, Aniket Biswas and Abhranil Sarkar are all Class V students who are trying their best to collect more money for Jishnu and have expressed their only desire to help their ailing friend financially.
Headmaster Roy said, "I am very proud of my students who feel deeply for their friend and want to do something for him. Their good and honest intention will reach them to the top in future. We hope that Jishnu will be cured and join school soon."
Jishnu's parents also praised the initiative. "My son was suffering from fever for a long time and we broke down after leukemia was detected on July 12. We then admitted him to Medical College and Hospital. But we regained mental strength after these little children of Kalachand School stood by us. My family members, including my son, were very happy on hearing that even his little classmates are collecting money for him," said Jishnu's faher Sudarshan Mallick, a resident of Belghoria's Jatindasnagar and an employee of Nimta High School. Mallick added that doctors told him the treatment would last at least four years and that he would have to arrange for Rs 5 lakh just for the coming six months' treatment.