On her 30th birthday, this woman changed the lives of 30 trafficking victims
To celebrate turning 30, Kolkata-based Trina Datta raised Rs 2.25 lakh from 30 donors; the funds will be used to help rescued girls complete an IT diploma course to ensure financial security and independence.
Different people react to birthdays differently. While some of us cringe at the thought of growing old, the day is a reason to celebrate for others. But for 30-year-old Trina Datta, entering her 30s is surely going to stay special. For to mark the occasion, she decided to change the lives of 30 young girls.
An MBA graduate from Indian School of Business (ISB), Trina decided to start a crowdfunding initiative that would help a non-profit called Small Change change the life of 30 girls on her special day. The organisation gives people the opportunity to celebrate a special occasion by raising funds for a cause/NGO listed on its platform. Most of these girls were rescued from dire situations, and found shelter at this organisation.
Requesting donors to come on-board to help and support the cause, she said on the website,
“It's my 30th, and most of you know it’s an age I'm really looking forward to...and warrants birthday gifts, maybe? This year, as my birthday gift, help me gift IT skills to 30 girls rescued from traffickers.”
She decided to raise funds for iPartner India‘s project in collaboration with Rahat, a grassroots NGO that works to rehabilitate girls trafficked from Bangladesh and Nepal. After rehabilitating them, it trains them in IT skills that enable them to get jobs. A three-year-old organisation, Rahat has rescued over 50,000 girls till now.
In a conversation with The Better India, Trina confesses that her family has always participated in social good, so opting for this came naturally to her.
“When I came across this, I felt there was no better way to celebrate my birthday than to do something for a cause I have always wanted to participate in, but done not much so far. I have everything I need, so I didn’t exactly have a list of gifts that I’d wished for. But with a wide network of friends and colleagues with more than enough disposable income, I wondered why not? It did seem a little self-important at first, and I hesitated because it was presumptuous to assume people were planning gifts for me. But that risk was a small price to pay for potentially transforming the lives of 30 girls,” she explains.
Trina's initiative needs Rs 2.10 lakh, but her appeal has received an overwhelming response - she raised over Rs 2.25 lakh from 30 donors.
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