CHENNAI : A few months ago, five teenagers — Manav Chordia (17), Dhruv Rishab Batra (16), Aakarsh Kankaria (17), Ganesh Konda (16) and Aatman Gupta (14) — in an attempt to make a difference in society, decided to form and run WE HELP — a club that aims to help underprivileged schools in isolated parts of Chennai. “The genesis of the idea was when our parents asked us to be part of a change and create a positive impact on society, ” says Manav, the leader of the group, ahead of their first fundraiser event — a football tournament.
“We were wondering how to take it forward and that’s when our parents, who are our primary mentors, stepped in, ” he says. Their parents, who are part of the social group, Round Table India, shared a list of schools that are in need. “One of the schools that was in dire need of attention was the Thiruvottiyur Municipal Middle School.
This was set up by the government for families affected by the 2004 tsunami. It hasn’t had any infrastructural upgrade. It lacks basic facilities like tables, chairs, sanitation, the bathrooms are broken and the school doesn’t have a proper library,” explains the 17-year-old.
The club will host its first event, a football tournament, to raise funds for the school. “We adopted the school. The school management has given us a list of things they need. We are hoping to raise enough funds to provide necessary furniture, fix toilets, and better the infrastructure,” he says. The fundraiser will be held at Whistle Urban Sport.Registrations are on till March 15, and sponsorship is welcome. For details, visit www.wehelpofficial.org