Why did you want to start Anvya?
We are Anvi and Anya. We are 14 years old, and we are the owners of Anvya. It is a social enterprise where we sell tie-dyed t-shirts and use the money towards a social cause. We focus on the education of the girl child and COVID relief.
Tell us about your inspiration.
We grew up in an environment where our parents were involved in so many community services. So naturally we were inspired by them. We wanted to do the same, and all by ourselves. We wanted to prove that even children, whose skills are still developing, can do their part.
Why do you want to focus on girl child education? Do you think everybody should use their creativity to do something like this?
We both believe education is extremely important, and in India, many children, especially girls, are deprived of the right to education. We didn’t want them to be deprived of this because of financial issues. We are doing our part, and we think everybody can do that because when that happens there would be a balance and better life on earth.
Tell us about your journey.
When we got bored at home during the lockdown, we tried tie-dye for the first time. We had learnt it at school. The first attempt was an unsuccessful one. After continuous attempts, we perfected it, and we knew we wanted it to be a business. The business idea later evolved into a charitable one. Of course, we couldn’t have started it all by ourselves, so we pitched this idea to our parents. They absolutely loved it and supported us all the way. Last September, we launched Anvya and we have an Instagram page.
We have sold 150 to 200 t-shirts, and have received enough money to fund the education of many girls. We had extra money after this, so we moved it towards government’s COVID relief funds because we have seen people suffer from COVID in our neighbourhood. Through this venture we learnt how small actions make big impacts in our society.
How do you think a new website will help people know more about Anvya and help encourage a social cause?
Building a website will help us to reach out to more people. We will be doubling our audience, and hence, helping more people. It will also help us build a community and help others more.
What setbacks did you overcome to continue this journey?
Anvi: When we started, I was afraid of what others might think of this idea. But then Anya just made me feel comfortable about this. The more I asked her if it would work, the more she would give me a positive vibe.
Anya: We had some setbacks such as the one time when we wanted to give up, because it became very hard for us to balance school and Anvya. At that time we knew we had each other and pushed through it.
What are your personal future plans?
Anvi: I want to do something with computer science or architecture.
Anya: I want to become either a lawyer or an architect.
Picture Credit : Google
