Glam samaritans

Once the greasepaint comes off, these Sandalwood gals bat for the girl child and defend animal rights...
You won’t find them at an orphanage on their birthdays for an annual ritual of feeding hungry kids and posing for lensmen. For these do-gooders in Sandalwood, lending a hand for a social cause is a year-long activity.
Jennifer Kotwal
What began as a customary visit to old-age homes and orphanages on festivals has now become a regular affair with Jennifer Kotwal.“When I’m in Mumbai, I spend my free time with the underprivileged kids near home. If I’m in Bangalore, I drive out with friends to remote places with toys and sweets,” she tells us. An animal lover, Jenny’s upset about the dwindling tiger count in the country. “I’ve got in touch with the authorities and volunteered to lend my name to the cause. I’m also championing to save the tiger on my fan page,” she reveals.
Priyanka Upendra
Two kids and a superstar husband to take care of. But she still manages to take time off to associate herself with the causes she believes in. Priyanka has lent her name to various drives, including healthcare and the environment. “I also staunchly believe in educating girls. Last month, I worked with an NGO to provide potable water to the suburbs of Bangalore,” she reveals. Of late, Priyanka has tied up with an NGO as their celeb face, and provides them with funds. “It’s managed by a bunch of youngsters and we will soon hold a concert to raise money and build a school for underprivileged kids,” she says.
Ramya
Going green and animal welfare are two of her pet issues. She works closely with CUPA and regularly rescues abandoned dogs. “Recently, my fans came forward to adopt them and I handed over a couple of them. Four others have made their way into my home,” laughs the actress, who recently adopted two leopard cubs at a zoo. She also helps mum Ranjitha run a trust for orphans. “I’ve recently launched an anti-plastic movement, so now I use only paper bags. I don’t use animal-tested products, and have turned vegetarian, which is why I’m also associated with PETA,” she adds. Soon, Ramya’s starting a line of recyclable cloth bags and plans to tie up with various malls.
Sharmila Mandre
Not wasting food and avoiding plastic were some of the things she learnt as a child. So, the actress regularly contributes to mid-day meal schemes across various schools. “My friends and I are planning a walkathon to promote the concept of going green,” she says. Sharmila recently attended a tree-planting initiative, and was so inspired by it, “that I’ve decided to get involved in such activities on a monthly basis,” she says. Sharmila’s already made her first instalment of planting saplings in her family estate.
Follow us on Twitter for more stories