By JESSICA DAMICO
Staff Writer
Sharwani Kota, 15, of Edison, uses skills gleaned from volunteering at the New Jersey Institute for Disabilities to work with children at a school in Southern India. Her charity work helps raise money for children with autism in India and the United States. When 15-year-old honor student Sharwani Kota was a child, it bothered her to see some fellow students struggling and being treated differently. Instead of simply turning her head or shrugging it off, the tenacious teen has since made it her mission to help children with autism.
I have grown up with children diagnosed with autism through elementary and middle schools, and have seen how these kids have been separated from us and have suffered through so much trouble not being able to express themselves. I felt that they were being isolated from learning normally and were rather treated very differently, said the sophomore at J.P. Stevens High School. This has motivated me since childhood to do something to make a difference in society.
Sharwani began her efforts by learning more about autism. She was alarmed to find out that New Jersey has the highest prevalence of the disorder, with one in 45 children affected in the state compared to one in 68 nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The thing is, no one knows the cause or the cure for autism, she said. And its not life-threatening, so people tend to overlook it.
Sharwani, however, did just the opposite. Once she researched autism, she set about raising awareness among others, along with volunteering and raising funds to help those affected by the disorder.
She joined forces with the Edison-based nonprofit Art Speaks for Autism, which is affiliated with St. Peters University Hospital in New Brunswick. Through the organization, she enhanced her knowledge about autism and eventually came up with a way to generate money for the cause that had grown close to her heart.
Sharwani plays the veena, a South Indian classical instrument. Seeing her talent as a vehicle for helping others, she began giving performances at senior centers, veterans homes and community centers throughout the area.
Over six months, Sharwani raised close to $5,000 all of which she donated to St. Peters, which is known for its efforts in autism research. Half the funds were dedicated to research, and the other half went toward helping families of children with autism to afford treatment, which is very expensive, according to the teen.
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Teens efforts bring hope for children with autism