Serving the poor while they wait to see cancer-stricken relatives: a Hyderabad couple's initiative
Vijay, an IT and e-commerce consultant from Hyderabad, was in the vicinity of Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital when he came across a young boy with a tube in his nose sitting on the pavement. Vijay noticed that the boy's parents were running around to get him admitted to the hospital. This sight fuelled in Vijay the desire to somehow alleviate the suffering of those waiting outside the hospital.
He discussed the idea with his wife and the couple instantly resolved to extend their support to poor people whose relatives are being treated for cancer. Now, they drive down to the hospital every Sunday morning and serve breakfast to those who need it.
In the two years since this initiative was started, people lining up on the pavement at 7 am every Sunday has become a sort of tradition. Recalling the sight that started it all, Vijay told The Times of India,
"On a winter morning on Sunday two years ago, I had taken my daughter for a joyride from Jubilee Hills to KBR Park. I was taken aback by the plight of the people waiting outside the hospital. Some of them were family members of patients undergoing treatment at the hospital. Most of them cannot afford food or accommodation in Banjara Hills. Many beggars also live on the pavement adjacent to the hospital. My wife gave me the idea to make food and serve it to all the poor people there, including those begging for alms. That day, two years ago, she made upma and both of us went back there and fed around 10 persons."
The humble couple says that feeding breakfast to the needy makes it a happy Sunday for their family.
"Just by feeding them breakfast, we cannot bring smiles on their faces, but it is a small effort on our part to do something for them," Vijay told TOI.
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