Popular Bollywood filmmaker and choreographer Farah Khan Kunder's daughter Anya Kunder has won a Compassionate Kid Award from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India. The 13-year-old was recognized for her generous act towards homeless animals during the Covid-19 pandemic.
During the covid outbreak, the local animals who were largely dependent on restaurant waste and handouts, struggled a lot as lockdown had restricted people to homes. Anya was a lifesaver for many such animals as the little girl raised donations for poor homeless animals.
She raised Rs 4 lakh for numerous animal welfare charities, including PETA India by sketching the animal companions of celebrities in exchange for a Rs 1,000 donation.
Also Read | Squid Game' garners 17 bn YouTube views, eclipses 'Game of Thrones'
Anya also helped feed community animals on Mumbai University's Kalina campus and joined her mother in encouraging people to help these animals by giving them food, water, affection and veterinary care. The duo even adopted Indian dogs 'Gulab' and 'Jamun'.
"At just 13, Anya has made a tremendous impact for vulnerable community dogs," PETA India's Associate Director of Education and Youth Outreach Puja Mahajan said. "This Children's Day, PETA India celebrates her for giving people of all ages a lesson in practising kindness to animals."
PETA India has been encouraging schools to teach students to follow Anya's lead. Its Compassionate Citizen programme is designed for students between the ages of 8 and 12, and has been used by more than 1.9 lakh schools, reaching out to approximately 89.8 million children across India.
Also Read | Court orders NCB to defreeze Rhea Chakraborty's bank accounts, return gadgets
The programme includes a teacher's guide, a colouring sheet, a kindness pledge that children can sign, a full-colour wall poster, an engaging 23-minute video, and an insert listing easy ways teachers and schools can encourage students to help animals.
