I love celebrating birthdays. Endless cake, piles of presents, dancing until dawn… what’s not to like? But what if we all decided to put our birthdays to good use by helping someone less fortunate?
That’s exactly what Bollywood actress Preity Zinta did when she turned 34 last year. Zinta, an UNAIDS goodwill ambassador, decided to forgo the flashy car she had promised herself and instead, became the financial guardian of 34 underprivileged girls back home in India.
“I heard of this girl whose parents wanted to sell her for a bicycle. She was 11 years old and it really disturbed me,” she told BBC News. “I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to take care of this girl.’”
After meeting other young girls in the same position, she thought why not provide for 34 girls and give them all a better start in life?
“The difference between a rich kid and a poor kid is the opportunity for education,” she said. “If you can provide education to these the kids, the drive that they have could take them … well, who knows, they could be a world leader!”
Zinta, now 35, was discussing her special “birthday gift” while in the UK to receive an honorary doctorate for her humanitarian work from the University of East London. Highlighting women’s and children’s issues in India, the actress also supports the Loomba Trust, a charity which aims to promote the human rights of widows and their children around the world.
While the young girls won’t be calling the Bollywood star “mom” any time soon (many of them have parents but they are simply too poor to provide for their children), she pays for everything from school fees to medicine and clothing.
“Now the parents don’t feel like the daughters are burdens to them,” she said. “It is the best thing I have ever done!”
Photo via Facebook.