Bay Area teenagers raise $55K for COVID patients in India

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) – Bay Area teenagers raising money for medical supplies for India, a country hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s very rewarding seeing how together we are able to make an impact on so many people but I also think there’s still a long way to go. This pandemic is huge, millions of people are being affected,” Aishwarya Manga said. 

Teenagers in Fremont and San Jose have raised $55,000 in just three weeks — Money they are using to purchase medical supplies desperately needed in India.

“Just because there’s so many Indian Americans in the Bay Area itself and India is having such a bad COVID crisis. I know so many people who are being affected by the crisis, whether it’s their family members or something like that,” Nihaar Charagulla said. 

India is reporting record high COVID-19 cases, with the help of a local non-profit, Empower and Excel, Aishwarya Manga and Nihaar Charagulla’s fundraising efforts have helped build this triage center. 

They’ve also purchased hospital beds, sheets, pillows, oxygen tanks, air purifiers, and even an emergency ambulance.

Manga’s own family members have been impacted in India.

“It hit them so hard that patients are dying just waiting for hospital beds and just waiting for oxygen. These basic resources,” Manga said.

These Bay Area teenagers are not stopping now.

They plan to continue to raise money, to continue to help those in need.

“These kids are stepping up and doing these tremendous jobs like helping others and raising funds in weeks. I feel like, mission accomplished. I feel very proud of them,” Ayesha Charagulla, with Empower and Excel, said.