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Ludhiana: Festive season helps government school students pitch in financially
Selling hand-made items, applying henna and covering functions as photographers are some of the ways the students in Ludhiana have turned the festive season into a business opportunity
As the city celebrated Diwali,many students from government schools have used the opportunity to help their families financially.
Selling hand-made items, applying henna and covering functions as photographers are some of the ways these students have turned the festive season into a business opportunity.
Vijay Kumar, a 17-year-old Class 12 student at Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Cemetery Road, has turned his passion for henna art into a seasonal business.
“I started learning henna art about five years ago to support my family,” Vijay says.
He now manages a team of 50 artists, who are often overbooked amid festivities.
He says appointments pour in for Karva Chauth, Diwali and Bhai Dooj. Vijay’s work helps his parents, who are modest labourers struggling to make ends meet.
Vijay says he plans to launch a henna and oil brand next year. Among his team are fellow GSSS students Priyanshi and Alisha, who have joined him for the festive season.
Gagandeep, a Class 11 student at the School of Eminence in Jawahar Nagar, is another inspiration to look at.
Suffering from polio, he has set up a stall of decorative items at the Jawahar Nagar market. He says the sales at the stall, which he mans after school hours, brings additional income to his family.
Aniket Gupta, a Class 11 student at GSSS, Haibowal Khurd, has taken up a job at a local gift shop, where he manages gift wrapping. His father, Mithlesh Gupta, owns a tea stall.
Mithlesh says Aniket has adjusted his schedule to work after school without affecting his studies.
Dharminder, another student from GSSS, Cemetery Road, has honed his photography skills and is covering local events, capitalising on the high demand during the festive season.
