Gurugram Teenagers Clean Cars To Raise Funds To Help The Underprivileged Amid COVID-19 Lockdown

The teenagers residing in the Ivy condominium in Sushant Lok-1 have formed a group called Santa Brigade to clean cars in the morning. At 6 in the morning, the members of the group step out to clean cars in the locality for around four hours. Using the money they get from the owners, they buy groceries, fruits, vegetables, sanitisers and masks, and distribute them to the underprivileged families in the area.

The group charges ₹200 to ₹1000 for cleaning the cars, depending on the vehicle category and dimensions. According to reports, in the last three weeks, the group has raised ₹15,000.

Rannveir Malik,14, co-leader of the Santa Brigade, said that his elder brother Siddhant,19, a college student, started the group on May 1.

"Today we are a team of more than 30 students and we have already started to do some meaningful and satisfying work to help the needy by providing ration, vegetables, face masks, hand sanitisers, clothes and milk to people in need. We are collecting money and buying daily needs items for the needy," Malik was quoted by Hindustan Times.

Using their pocket money, the members, aged between 13 and 17 years, bought car-cleaning soft cloth and detergent. To support them, the Residents Welfare Association (RWA) provides them with water and space.

"It felt good to serve those in need, especially in such difficult times. Such times call for unity and seeing everyone come together made me feel like there's hope. We get up early morning and collectively wash cars, and with the donation we help the underprivileged people," Muskaan Grover, a 17-year-old class 12 student said.

The group members are fondly called reindeers and elves by the Residents Welfare Association. The students are also helping a tailor who used to sit outside the condominium but was out of work due to the lockdown. The students provide the raw material to the tailor to stitch nearly 100 masks every day and is paid ₹500 daily.