Saturday, Aug 13, 2022

Telugu kids from UK raise funds for Covid relief

By Shweta Watson

Published: Published Date - 12:01 AM, Wed - 2 June 21

Telugu kids from UK raise funds for Covid relief — Telugu-speaking children from Manchester in UK who are raising funds to help Covid-hit people in Hyderabad . They are making and selling greeting cards and donated Rs 30,000 to a Covid volunteer providing free food

Hyderabad: One of the best things that we have seen in the pandemic is people being there for each other in times of need. Covid volunteers have been working day and night to help people struggling in the second wave and joining this list of supporters are little kids from Manchester, United Kingdom.

Around 10 Telugu kids – Adith and Manvitha Valluri, Sai Charan Averineni, Sharan and Rohan Pattisapu, Ved and Tisha Boganadham, Shreya Yallam, Hrudita Dubasi and Adhyan Beeram – have been making and selling greetings cards in the UK to raise funds for Covid relief in Hyderabad.

The noble initiative was started by 33-year-old Bhavani Maddula, a homemaker and mother to Ved and Tisha.

“A couple of weeks ago I read an article in ‘Telangana Today’ about a group of bikers distributing free food to Covid positive patients and their families. So, I donated some money to the cause and then decided to involve my kids and the neighbouring kids in our community. Most of them are in the age group of six to 11 years old. We all love art,” shares Bhavani.

So far, the group has sold 64 greeting cards and raised 300 pounds, which is close to Rs 30,000. “We are getting a good response here in the UK. We get orders through social media and phone calls. We note down the customers’ addresses and send the cards through post. The children are extremely satisfied to help people suffering in their home country and are looking forward to more such initiatives,” adds Bhavani, who donated the money to Randhir Reddy, a Covid volunteer.

The kids work on the cards from their respective homes adhering to social distancing norms. Eleven-year-old Rohan tells us over the phone from the UK, “I am really excited and feel amazing helping people. At school, I love arts and crafts and now I am using my skills to make these cards. I am taking some help from my mother and brother. I would love to do this again.”

Eight-year-old Ved adds, “I spend three to four hours every day creating these cards. I am very happy that I got a chance to help people. My mother and friends help me.”