Rooble Bagga, a sophomore at High School North, has dedicated time and effort to raising funds to combat the difficulty faced by young children suffering from polio — a crippling and potentially fatal disease that affects the nerves and can lead to paralysis.
“Have you ever wanted to give without expecting anything in return? Most look for a reward in some way,” says Bagga. “I know I did, most of the time — but then a sight on the streets of New Delhi, India, changed my perspective.”
Bagga began community service as a middle school student. When he was 13 he founded the New Jersey Chapter of Empower Orphans, a nonprofit organization supporting underprivileged and orphan children.
In 2011 he joined Neha Gupta, the founder of Empower Orphans, in setting up a library at Feltonville Intermediate School in Philadelphia. As a part of the project, Bagga, along with other volunteers, encouraged the joy of reading among economically deprived children of Feltonville Intermediate School. As his first step in providing a long term education and self sufficiency for underprivileged children, he donated more than 3,000 books.
Born in New Delhi, Bagga moved to New Jersey with his parents at age three. His parents, Sanjeev and Monika Bagga, work in the financial and pharmaceutical industries, respectively. His sister Aaira, 12, is in seventh grade at Community Middle School. Bagga attended Wicoff Elementary and Community Middle schools.
The joy of giving inspired Bagga to take a step further in thinking of new ways to raise funds and help needy children. In 2011 he visited his grandparents in New Delhi during his summer break. Bagga saw polio affected children begging on the streets in sweltering heat and was upset to see their helplessness.
Realizing these children were neither receiving education nor the guidance of parents, Bagga reached out to Narayan Sewa Sansthan, a charitable organization that provides rehabilitation facilities for mentally retarded, handicapped individuals, and especially those with polio.
He began fundraising to support the surgery for polio-affected children who had the potential to walk with a clinical operation. He went door to door to sell wine charms and birthday cards made by underprivileged children in India. He also collected and sold gently used household items.
He also used his passion for creating and mixing music and started working as a DJ at private events and school dances. Family friends and neighbors had him perform at their private parties.
Proceeds from his efforts yielded enough funds to schedule surgery for 11 children who had a potential to walk independently. He visited India in August, 2012, and worked with Dr. Pandey of Narayan Sewa Sansthan at the local hospital and scheduled surgery for them. Today, all children are on their way toward self-dependence without the aid of any crutches or in-person assistance in walking or performing other routine jobs.
Bagga’s close personal interaction with polio-stricken children and their families, living in poor economic conditions with no money to support the heavy medical bills needed for surgery, gives him a sense of great satisfaction and achievement. “I am so blessed that I am healthy and feel positive energy in my body and mind,” he says.
Bagga, who is interested in providing more than temporary relief, plans to empower more polio-stricken children this year. “I want to address the cause directly and permanently by correcting the problem through surgery,” he says.
Today, his project furthers his dreams of continuing the battle against polio. “After seeing the plight of polio-affected children in India, I made up my mind to help and support these children in the years to come,” Bagga says. “I want to empower these children so that they can become independent and support themselves when they grow up.”
