High Schoolers Turned Side Project into Humanitarian Tool

Before the pandemic happened, Edward Aguilar and his friend, Shourya Seth, started a building program to deliver goods. Now, they have transformed their side project into a humanitarian tool.

When they started their nonprofit program called Project Paralink, it was a way for them to test their ideas, Aguilar said. They link up with small-scale creators who are making masks at home to stakeholders who need personal protective equipment (PPE).

They function as DoorDash for PPE, delivering the supplies to those who need them. They have delivered to seven states within weeks, prompting 900 volunteers to help them with their cause.

See also: Face mask hoax: Teach children how to spot fake news

After losing a close friend to the coronavirus, Advik Venkat got inspired to join Aguilar's company in the months after his launch. Venkat said that the whole situation had touched him personally, so he believes he has to get involved.

(Photo : Instagram/projectparalink)

Worked all day and night

The high-schoolers work from dawn to before sunset. Sometimes, they would destress by playing Ping-Pong or watch an episode or two of HBO's Silicon Valley. It is a TV show where they see themselves.

A plucky startup challenges a tech giant in the TV show. In the three young adult's case, the federal government works like the fictional Hooli. The establishment is having a hard time performing well.

See also: Mom and son serve homemade food to the needy during the pandemic

Paralink has already given out 700,000 face masks nationwide, where 350,000 of them were sent to its home state in Georgia. In June, Paralink won over the federal government. Venkat said that they had distributed 200,000 face shields in Georgia, which is 10,000 more than the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Partnered with Atlanta Beats COVID

Suburban Alpharetta, Georgia, noted that the trio has partnered with Atlanta Beats COVID. It is a group that helped them connect with organizations in need. A pediatric speech therapist and one of the vendors, Alyssa Siegel, works with clients with autism, Down syndrome, and other speech disorders.

She needed face shields to continue her profession because it allows her to show mouths and still get protection. Siegel said that Paralink has helped keep their business going in these trying times.

See also: Coronavirus coloring book: Created by students to teach children about the pandemic

 

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A post shared by Project Paralink (@projectparalink) on Jun 15, 2020 at 9:07am PDT

Plans after the pandemic

Seth said that many people disregard them because of their age, but they have found that hard work pays off. Although they worry about how they could sustain after the pandemic, they already thought of a plan.

The trio plans to attend college to hone their business skill once everything is over. Aguilar and Venkat are hoping to build an infrastructure that could stand a hurricane or an earthquake.

Aguilar's advice to his fellow teens is that they should stay connected even though they have to practice social distancing. He also advised that young adults like them should dive into their passions, just like how they did in Paralink.