Cake for Cause: Meet the 14-Year-Old Baker Whose Miracle Project is Helping Raise Funds

Fourteen year old Aradhitta Goenka took to baking with a mission. She dedicated her baking initiative, Miracle Project to helping great causes raise money for things that matter. She combined her passions for baking and art to help fund cancer patients, orphaned children, flood relief initiatives and many other causes.

Goenka, who is still in high school, was inspired by a book to start early and work towards helping society solve for big and small issues. Goenka talks with SheThePeople about her journey.

From the start, what inspired you to take up baking for a cause?

I am a 14-year-old self-made entrepreneur, studying at Bombay International School. Baking is one of my passions and I have been creating my own recipes for sweet treats made from healthy ingredients under the aegis of a project I started last year, ‘Miracle Project’. The Miracle Project is my dream project to give back to society and help the needy. The project was conceptualised with an aim to support different organisations. I combined my passions for baking and art with my compassion for society to raise funds for causes that are close to my heart. 

How can people help support your cause?

I have just launched my latest Diwali project under the aegis of ‘Back to Roots’, where I am selling healthy nutritious goodies like chocolate chip cookies, caramel sponge cake, specially curated Diwali hampers and resin cake stands amongst others. All the proceeds from this project will go the West Wind Association through which I am supporting the Jai Vakeel foundation (supporting intellectually challenged children’s education) and also a few other NGOs supporting children’s well-being.

I interacted with the children and it really made me realise how capable they are. This really motivated me to support this cause as they truly deserve the help.  You are welcome to check out our Instagram handle for more details.

In a span of 1 year, I have supported Anjeze Charitable Trust (supporting cancer patients), Udayan Shalini Foundation (supporting higher education for needy girls), the Helping Hands Foundation (supporting orphaned children and flood relief initiatives) and the Jai Vakeel foundation (supporting intellectually challenged children).

Talk about one memorable experience throughout Miracle Project. 

For my previous project, I held an art class for around 40 girls I taught them pencil sketching. When I initially went to the class, I was worried about the outcome and whether the girls would comprehend what I was trying to teach them. They were brilliant.  They were hardworking and talented, and I wanted to do everything to help them for their higher studies. That moment during the class when I was interacting with them was probably the best experience I have had throughout my various charitable projects. 

What keeps you motivated?

The Miracle Project combines my passion for baking and art with my compassion for society to raise funds for causes close to my heart. On days when I have lots of orders, spending several hours in the kitchen gives me a lot of happiness, knowing that this will help support the needy and help them to achieve their dreams. It is this motivation that has enabled me to successfully work on 4 projects, with the Diwali special being my latest project. 

How did the Miracle Project come about?

I wanted to give back to society in whichever way I could and that was one of the main reasons I thought of this. I was also inspired by a book called ‘Danielle’ by Ray Kurzweil which is about a young girl who helps change the society with her skills. This really inspired me to help do something for society to the best I could and this idea originated from that keenness.

The reason I came up with the idea of selling baked goods was because I didn't want to just ask people to donate money, but I also wanted to give them something in return. 

I thus decided to bake healthy goodies that are delicious and nutritious to raise funds for my charitable initiative. 

How has baking taken you on a path of discovering your real passion? Why is baking for change so important to you and how do you do that?

Baking has always been my passion. The recipes that I have been using are actually developed by me and I bake all the goods myself to ensure optimum quality. I have substituted all the unhealthy ingredients with healthy ones and all my recipes are gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and vegan. 

When I saw that the products sold in the market, I realised that often unhealthy products are packaged and marketed as healthy thereby misleading the consumer. I recognised a need to educate people about nutritious eating using traditional ingredients instead of new age, well- packaged but unhealthy ingredients thereby balancing nutrition and taste.

• Who inspires you and why?

My parents (Amit Goenka & Navyata Goenka) have constantly motivated me to pursue my ambitions and have been the strongest support pillars for me as I started the Miracle Project. While everyone was a bit skeptical when I conceptualised this project, they supported me while letting me navigate the challenges on my own and provided help wherever needed. A lot of the inspiration and motivation that I get is also from my school and I thank the Bombay International School for encouraging and supporting me. It's the ethos of our school that has helped imbibe the qualities of giving back to society.

For my recipes, I have taken inspiration from my grandparents who have helped me rediscover ingredients that could be an easy substitute for unhealthy ingredients found in regular baked products. For instance, my grandmother suggested using jaggery instead of refined sugar, almond flour instead of refined flour and coconut oil instead of refined oil. 

What's your ultimate goal?

I wouldn’t say ultimate goal, but I wish to continue to take steps towards supporting needy communities in whatever manner I can going forward. In the future, I am also planning to make a recipe book where I can share the recipes that I am currently using for my projects. Through this book, I hope to continue to bust myths around healthy/unhealthy ingredients thereby improving societies understanding of nutrition.

Another thing that I would really want to change is the mindset of the people, adults as well as children, who think that a small contribution cannot make a large difference. The thing that I have realised is that even the smallest amounts that we donate or use to support the needy, make the largest of difference to them. I have learned through this entire process that no matter how little you give, you will always be enriched with happiness and satisfaction. I want to reach out to everyone who wants to make a difference in our society but doesn’t have the confidence to take a leap of faith. I took the leap and have been rewarded with the satisfaction of touching so many lives, in my own small way. 

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