Spreading the Warmth en-road
Human Beings need to protect their bodies from all type of whether conditions to stay healthy. Winters are cold and summers are hot. In winter we should wear woolen clothes and smear thick blankets to keep ourselves warm and in summer we should wear light colored clothes as they reflect the heat and keep us cool. Well what are you reading? Aren’t you already under the confusion if you are reading a 3rd class Science text or aren’t you already thinking that this piece of text is something which you already know?
Yes, you are right you were taught all these things and if you are able to read this it implies you are someone who can afford to buy clothes and protect your body according to that particular season. But do you know how many people are sleeping on the roads who know all these things not because they were taught in their class but because they learnt it by years of experience they have gained by sleeping on roads?
“There are more than 1000 people on the road just alone in Hyderabad”, says Sushma Kongara who had surveyed on the streets with a friend of hers. It all started when she saw an old couple sleeping on pavement, trying to cover their bodies with gunny bags while she was returning home around 2 AM after her night shift. She was deeply moved by the scene and shared this incident with Sesank Numburi, a friend of hers. This eventually led to the birth of a very good initiative – “Spreading the warmth on the road”.
Incidentally Sushma Kongara and Sesank Numburi are a part of two Social Service Organizations, SHA “Service with Humanity and Affection and avashaH”- Hands That Help respectively. Both these organizations, started in 2008, have done so many social service activities like adopting a school and teaching English to the Telugu medium children over there, conducted health and polio camps in slum areas, donated money for health related issues, conducted flood relief camps etc.
As a part of this initiative – “Spreading the warmth on the road”, they both have decided to collect money from their friends, buy blankets with the money they pooled in and donate to the people on road.
Sesank Numburi says, “It was around 1 PM on 6th
December 2012 that I have decided to start collecting the money and asked one of friends if she was interested in donating. In a jiffy she has put INR 1000/- in my hand leaving me in a surprise. Starting from then on wards I have asked 25 people and the response rate was so high that 21 people have donated I have received 21000 in my bank account by 10th December”. The response was almost similar in case of Sushma Kongara, who was also able to collect INR 20000 from her friends by 14th December 2012.
Pooling the money collected by both these organizations which accounted for INR 40,000 they have bought 200 blankets for INR 180 each on 15th December and on 16th December 2012 evening around 11:30 PM with the help of other volunteers – Rakesh Balam, Siddarth Sripada, Sanjeev Arul, Sankeerth Boddu, Nishanth Vengala, Anil Dulam they started from their residence at Madhapur and donated the blankets.
The Team says, that next day they went around the places where they donated and were happy to see the people using them. But they still feel that there are huge a number of people on the road who are struggling to cover their bodies from winter cold. Hence the Team has planned for “Spreading the Warmth on the Road – 2” on January 13th 2013.
If you want to extend your helping hand to these organizations or want to be a member of any of these organizations or want to contact them or want to see more pictures related to the event or want to pass on your appreciations please click here.
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