When a 6-year-old led fund-raising campaign for underprivileged girls

Time of India

a day ago

Bengaluru: On an early morning in late April, over 20,000 runners hit the road for the annual TCS World 10K here. Many put on impressive performances, with 11 of them cracking the elusive sub-30-minute mark.
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In the crowd was someone equally impressive — six-year-old Abigail Lisa, who was cheering her father Joshua from the sidelines. Abigail was the leader of a campaign that raised over Rs 3.2 lakh for NGO Reaching Hand's underprivileged girls' initiative.
"Nine years ago, I was a runner who raised funds, now I feel like a fundraiser who runs," said Joshua, a seasoned runner and IT professional. Abigail's mother, Mounika, also an IT professional, is involved in fundraising efforts too.
Last year, the family raised almost Rs 1.5 lakh toward the same cause.
Abigail, an avid football fan, was designated "kindness leader" and helped raise funds through various methods. "I reached out to my neighbours, friends, church people," said the class 1 student, who made videos and created an online appeal to gather contributions from friends and family.
"We have been blessed with two little girls, so it hurts even more to see those who don't have anyone or any place to stay," said Joshua when asked why the campaign focussed on the cause of underprivileged girls.
The idea to involve Abigail in the campaign stemmed from the desire to start teaching her the importance of social work. "Causes like these drive our country, and we feel it is important that younger children like Abigail are aware of them," said Mounika. "She will grow up knowing there are groups that aren't as lucky as we are, and she will learn to stand up for them."
"Nothing is impossible, that is what we have learned from this experience," said Joshua, proud of how far the family's fund-raising efforts have come over the last decade. "I learnt there are little girls who sleep in the cold and are bitten by mosquitoes, and they suffer so much. We must help poor people and give them a better future," said Abigail, reflecting on the journey of the campaign.
— Aryan Thumboochetty