When you think of Gen Z compared to other generations, one thing that is sure to come up is technology. We’ve grown up with tech, so as a generation we are a lot more familiar with the internet and our phones. That’s something other generations tend to struggle with, especially older ones like Boomers. Hempfield freshman Reshma Lalani and sophomore Medha Lalani recognized that divide and knew exactly how they could help.
The sisters created Tech Buddies, their traveling project which provides tech support for senior citizens. The program currently includes 62 student-volunteers who travel to rec centers where sessions are held so seniors can get a helping hand. Reshma emphasizes that the in person sessions “are more valuable because they allow for a real connection that you can’t get online.” The sessions are also free, because, as Medha points out, “charging money for the help would ruin the whole purpose of the program and the passion for helping others goes away once money gets involved.” Because of that, she says that they are staying focused on expanding the project past just our local area because that is what creates a bigger impact.
They started last December, and have since grown to include 6 partnerships where weekly sessions are held to help seniors with whatever tech issues they may have– Frozen apps, problems with emails, and anything else you can think of. The idea came from their grandparents on their dad’s side– Helping them all these summers with technology gave them the inspiration to help more people from their generation. Reshma points out that “Boomers lack a lot of the tech skills which are the kind of skills that are really important right now.”
As part of the project, the sisters have gone on the road to different entrepreneurship competitions where they pitch Tech Buddies to business leaders. On Wednesday, March 25, the sisters and family, including their grandparents who inspired the whole business, made the trip down I-76 to Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles, to participate in the Final Pitch Competition of the Firstrust Bank Philadelphia Eagles Entrepreneurs Game Plan program. As part of the day, they got an exclusive tour around the Eagle’s stadium, including a trip to the locker room, a walk onto the field itself, some time with the Eagles’ two Lombardi Trophies and even a meeting with former Eagles wideout Jason Avant, who had a 10 season-long career in the NFL.
There, they made a business pitch about Tech Buddies, which ended in them coming out on top over the other 5 teams there, and winning the grand prize of $2,500. The win was special for Tech Buddies– Of course because of the hard work put into it and the amazing reach it had achieved, but also because they won the competition as the only representative of a public school. They also were the only nonprofit competing. The pitch also included details about real numbers and actual experiences from running their business, which showed that the connections they have built up and the program they have created is more than just an idea– It’s a real tangible thing helping make connections across generations.
The impact isn’t just on the seniors, either. Reshma loves that the “impact is so significant” and that the appreciation from the seniors puts “light into [her] days” and provides a “new source of energy.” She also highlighted the leadership skills and the communication skills which Tech Buddies has helped to build for her, Medha, and all the volunteers involved. Medha appreciates the patience involved since seniors are so new to tech that it takes a lot of work to bridge the gap.
Looking into the future, the sisters say that they have a few more years to continue building up and growing their project, so they aren’t too worried about any immediate plans in terms of tech buddies post-high school, but they know that they will be looking to other high school kids at that point that they can hand off local parts of the project to that will carry on their hard work and determination for the project. Of course, they will be continuing their engagement in Tech Buddies and know that this passion for helping and making connections with others will carry on for the rest of their lives.
