Securing a home

On reading a newspaper report of a 18-year-old orphaned Bhopal student who last year scored 99.8% in her class 10 exam being threatened with eviction from her home, Serum Institute of India chairman Dr Cyrus Poonawalla and chief executive officer Adar Poonawalla have given Rs 27.47 lakh from the Villoo Poonawalla Foundation to her so she could repay a housing loan taken by her father. The Times of India (ToI) of December 7, 2022 carried a report on Vanisha Pathak’s plight.

In 2021, while still in school, she and her brother lost both parents to Covid. Despite this she managed to stand first in Bhopal in the class 10 exams. However, she had to contend with notices from LIC (Life Insurance Corporation of India) Housing Finance Limited, for repossession of the house as the EMIs (equated monthly installments) had not been repaid. Though she wrote to the institution explaining the situation and seeking time to repay the loan her father had availed of, her letters reportedly went unanswered. So ToI carried a report about her "courage and plight, triggering an outpouring of support for her.”
There were many who offered to help, including Adar, but as Vanisha had not yet reached the age of 18 and lacked a legal guardian, the position was untenable even though union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman intervened, urging LIC to look into the matter. As soon as Vanisha reached the age of 18 last November, the Poonawallas stepped in to ensure that the home will remain hers by paying off the loan.
The Poonawallas "are very passionate people with a lot of compassion,” Jaswinder Narang, chief executive officer of the Villoo Poonawalla Foundation told ToI. "They want these children now to focus on their education and be absolutely stress-free. I was in constant touch with the family during the entire process,” he added.
"I am thankful to the Poonawallas for their support in saving my home,” Vanisha, who is now in class 12, told the newspaper. "That is the last thing we have after losing our parents.” A Bhopal court has placed both siblings under the legal guardianship of their maternal uncle and aunt, ToI concluded.
Sherene Vakil