Tulsi Kumari, an 11-year-old mango vendor from Jharkhand's Jamshedpur, recently fulfilled her dream of buying a new smartphone to attend online classes, by selling a dozen mangoes for Rs 10,000 each.
The miracle happened after Ameya Hete, a Mumbai based businessman came to know about Tulsi's struggles and decided to further her determination to study by buying 12 mangoes at Rs 10,000 each. Tulsi Kumar said that during the lockdown, her family's financial situation had deteriorated. Her parents had no means to buy a smartphone for her to attend online classes.
"I wanted to buy a smartphone but whatever we earned from selling mangoes went into buying ration for the family. Then a 'Sir' bought 12 mangoes from me for Rs 10,000 each. He also bought me a phone," said Tulsi.
Narrating the incident, Tulsi's mother Padmini Devi said her daughter, who is a class 5 student, wanted a smartphone to continue her education online.
"She was adamant about buying the smartphone and started selling mangoes on the roadside during the lockdown. When a man from Mumbai came to know about her, he sent her money so that she can achieve her dream of studying and becoming something in life," said Devi. Tulsi's mother also expressed her gratitude to Hete for furthering her daughter's passion for education.
"We are grateful to him. He bought a mango for 10,000 and bought 12 mangoes. They bought her a new smartphone and study material from that money," she said. According to Hete, he came to know about Tulsi through a social media post of a journalist and decided to help her.
"When I heard about her story, it touched my heart. Though there are innumerous children whose struggle with poverty is affecting their education. But what impressed me about Tulsi is her spirit to not give up on the circumstances and make efforts for her dreams,' said the businessman.
