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NRI girl from Khammam gives amputees a leg-up

Naisha Bellam raises fund worth Rs 15 lakh to provide prosthetic limbs to 500 accident victims

By James Edwin

Published Date - 16 January 2021, 12:20 AM

NRI girl from Khammam gives amputees a leg-up — Naisha Bellam

Khammam: ‘Philanthropy is not about money, it’s about feeling the pain of others, caring enough about their needs and to help,’ American author, screenplay writer Timothy Pina stated once.

And feeling the pain of those who lost their limbs due to accidents, snake bites and other reasons, a young girl hailing from Khammam and now living in Washington DC, USA, has come forward to help the amputees to get artificial limbs.

Naisha Bellam, a 14-year-old student at Clarksburg High School, Maryland, has raised a fund worth Rs 15 lakh to provide prosthetic limbs free of cost to as many as 500 underprivileged victims of accidents in rural parts of Khammam.

She is the president of Washington DC chapter of Chirag, a charitable organisation established by NRIs with its headquarters at Fremont, California, set up in 2003. During one of her visits to remote villages here she noticed many kids were not able to attend school due to loss of limbs.

In order to fulfil their wish to further their education, Naisha started ‘Aid4Amputees’ initiative and with the support of her team – Arnav Bajjuri, Ashvik Sai Bajjuri, Hrushikesh Abdas, Ritvika Abdas, Arnav Biriduraju and Aakash Biriduraju — she succeeded in raising around $30,000 to provide prosthetic limbs through Rotary Limb Centre in Khammam.

The beneficiaries are shortlisted based on their economical and health conditions. Naisha’s father Bellam Madhu, CEO of Beltech, USA, handed over cheque for Rs 15 lakh to the Rotary office bearers at a programme recently.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Madhu said for the past couple of years Naisha had been leading projects that empower youth in rural India. “She believes that education can solve socio-economic issues such as poverty, child marriage, human trafficking, caste discrimination and others.”

Two years ago, she started the ‘Mini-Libraries’ project and raised $20,000 to set up a total of 125 libraries in government schools in rural places like Gundala and others in erstwhile Khammam.

“The libraries meant to give tribal students access to books so that they can realise their dream of achieving higher education as my daughter believes that the best gift we can give to any child is education and unconditional support to fulfil their dreams,” Madhu said.

Naisha also took up a ‘Backpack Drive’ to provide school supplies to underprivileged children in the US and ‘Treat4Troops’ as part of which the US troops serving in Afghanistan and Middle East are given Halloween candies.

In recognition of her services, Naisha earned many community service hours and awards like ‘The Point of Light Award’ in 2019, ‘Prudential Spirit’ – Distinguished Finalist award, ‘Citation from Maryland General Assembly’ and Presidential Gold Medal for 2017, 2018 and 2019.