Touched by floods, Dubai girl makes golden gesture
dubai — A 12-year-old Dubaibased girl realised the true worth of her most cherished possession — a 500-gramme cake made of pure gold — after donating it to help flood victims in Kerala.
Pranathi Vivek got the handmade cake that’s worth about Dh100,000 as a birthday gift from her father on her 12th birthday in May. After selling it to contribute to the Kerala government’s distress relief fund, Pranathi said: “I donated the cake because I felt it did not have much value sitting on a shelf. Its value increased only when I realised it could wipe the tears of a few thousand people.”
dubai — Moved by the recent devastating floods in Kerala, a Dubaibased schoolgirl has donated her 22-carat birthday cake towards the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).
Pranathi Vivek, a student of Delhi Private School, decided to sell the 500-gram handmade gold cake — costing approximately Dh100,000 — gifted by her father and contribute to the relief fund.
Speaking to Khaleej Times from their hometown in Payyannur in Kerala, Vivek Kallidil, a businessman, said he gifted each of his triplets – Varnika, Dyuthi and Pranathi — a gold cake on their 12th birthday.
Kallidil, managing director of Pravathi Building Contracting, added that Pranathi was as upset as other family members with the flood situation in Kerala.
“My staff were collecting essential supplies as relief material. Pranathi said she also wanted to make some donation. I agreed and asked her to select some material that she wanted to give away. To my surprise, she returned with her cake.”
What triggered the girl to do something for the flood victims was the plight of one of the staff at her dad’s company.
She said: “One of my dad’s office employee’s family was stuck on the roof of their home without
I donated the cake because I felt the cake did not have much value sitting on a shelf. However, its value increased only when I realised it could wipe the tears of a few thousand people.” Pranathi Vivek,student of Delhi Private School
food, connectivity, or even an umbrella. She was standing on the roof with her two-year-old kid. It was so shocking.”
She added: “I donated the cake because I felt the cake did not have much value sitting on a shelf. However, its value increased only when I realised it could wipe the tears of a few thousand people.”
The father told his daughter has always showed a tendency to help people in distress.
“When we were in Kanchi Kamakodi Trust Hospital in Chennai earlier this year, she saw a 15-year-old struggling to meet hospital charges. We helped the teenager with the surgery that cost around Dh16,000,” he added. “I believe today’s children must trailblaze in all aspects of their life, and most importantly, they have to learn to give to those in need as much as they can.”
Meanwhile, Malabar Gold, the jewellery group which has handcrafted the cake, said they would buy the cake from the family.
Anoop Parnssery, branch manager of Malabar Gold Al Barsha, said: “A month went into the creation of the cakes. Our designers handcrafted the delicate-looking cake. The flowers on top of the cake were imported from Turkey, and the cake engravings were all handmade. Inscriptions on the cake are handwritten as well.”