M'luru techie 'Arjun Bhandarkar' trusted name in crowdfunding for needy patients

Mangaluru: A 31-year-old software engineer is now a trusted name in crowdfunding for the needy patients and has raised funds for 30 families in just five months.

Arjun Bhandarkar, who works for a private firm in Mangaluru, in just five months raised Rs 40 lakh and helped 30 families.

“When my father was hospitalised. Though we had sufficient insurance cover and resources at hand, we had to struggle to make immediate arrangements, That got me thinking. If we, who had good jobs and were earning well, faced difficulties in rustling up funds, what about those who don’t have the wherewithal?,” said Arjun, when asked what made him start crowd-sourcing for needy patients.

“We have more than 1,500 donors who have helped one or more families. I reach out to them via WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and email as the last resort,” Arjun added.

Arjun also runs a Facebook page, ‘Help to save a life: Lend a helping hand’, and personally drafts the fundraiser petition.

Recently, he has been working with GSB Charitable Trust which refers potential fundraisers to him.