My soul knows how passionate I am about my Beauty With A Purpose (BWAP) project 10-9-8. I put my heart into making my long-cherished mission — prevention and eradication of child abuse — a success. In association with my BWAP project, I joined forces with Telangana’s Women Development and Child Welfare Department (WCDW), which works towards the same goal, helping out children in distress. A few months ago, on the occasion of Children’s Day, Satyavathi Rathod, Minister of Tribal Welfare and Women and Child Welfare, flagged off 33 Bala Rakshak Child Response vehicles donated to WCDW by eleven large companies.
BWAP, as we all know, was introduced by Julia Morley, Chairperson of Miss World Organization, 50 years ago and has since inspired generations of young women to have a purposeful life. Many queens have used their title, exposure, and talent to raise funds and propagate awareness on various social concerns and thus, take a step to make the world a better place. India is among the few countries recognized with the honourable award several times, at the finale of Miss World, and I am extremely proud of my predecessors.
In the past year, I met with several business heads and philanthropists to discuss the dire need for rescue vehicles, and my efforts sure paid off on this auspicious day. Since I was in Puerto Rico, my mother, Shailaja Varanasi, was felicitated at the event. Other dignitaries who graced the occasion included J Srinivasa Rao, Chairperson TSCPCR and Divya Devarajan IAS, Special Secretary & Commissioner, Women Development and Child Welfare.
These newly launched vehicles will be used to rescue and rehabilitate children who have been victims of child marriage, child labor, abandonment, and distress. Expressing her gratitude and appreciating the noble deed, Satyavathi remarked, “In child rescue operations, every minute is very important, and the slightest delay in reaching out to the affected child can translate into compromising his/her safety and security. Each vehicle donated today will not only save but also transform the lives of many children.”
In addition to these contributions, I had also initiated a small fundraiser and collected ₹ 6,32,970 to purchase more vehicles for the rescue operation.
Today, once again, I take this opportunity to thank all the donors who extended their support.
