From remembering Kargil heroes to a café offering free meals in exchange for plastic waste, we bring you top social stories this week

India is home to the largest under-nourished and hungry population in the world. While many people go hungry every day in our country, this café in Chhattisgarh is offering a wholesome meal, not in exchange of money, but for plastic waste.

Similarly, a Delhi-based organisation is making a difference in the lives of the differently abled by making tourism accessible for them.

This week, on Vijay Diwas, SocialStory also brings to light the stories of our brave soldiers.

Remembering the brave heroes of Kargil war on Vijay Diwas

July 26, 1999. The date shall never be forgotten. Twenty years on, on Kargil Vijay Diwas, India celebrates the victory and sacrifice of its armed forces who fought back bravely against Pakistan to recapture its territories.

ALSO READ

Kargil and Kashmir war hero Deepchand Prakhyat lost two legs and an arm, but is the most optimi...

However, this victory came with a heavy price, as the country lost a large number of soldiers during in the Kargil war. And one of our brave soldiers, India’s first blade runner, former Major Devender Pal Singh, lost his leg and part of his intestines in the Kargil war. He was only 25 when he was hit by mortar fire on a Himalayan battlefield.

Major Singh was initially declared dead by the army surgeon at the field hospital, but was later revived. However, his infected leg had to be amputated. He served in the army for 10 years, joining the 7th battalion in 1997. Upon retiring after his injury, he did not give up and started playing sports to train himself. Now he is India’s first amputee marathon runner and holds multiple Limca Records.

After losing their child to congenital heart disease, this couple is saving the lives of other children

In 1983, Prema and Jyoti Sagar lost their second child, Samir, to a congenital heart disease when he was very young.

ALSO READ

Two women break geographical and cultural barriers to vaccinate children in the remote, cannabi...

In an effort to give a new meaning to their lives, the two began volunteering at Missionaries of Charity, an international organisation working towards the uplift of the poor. In 2001, they formed the Genesis Foundation.

Over the last 18 years, the couple has funded the treatment of over 2,100 children suffering from congenital heart diseases.

Delhi-based Svayam is on a mission to make tourism more accessible for the differently-abled

Like most of us, many differently abled people who wish to travel often step back due to lack of proper facilities. From basic infrastructure and suitable transportation to accessible toilets and sightseeing points, the disabled are being deprived of travel opportunities. 

And leading the cause of accessibility on this front is Svayam, founded by Sminu Jindal (MD of Jindal Saw Ltd) in 2000. The Delhi-based organisation is dedicated towards informing the people working with the government and bringing all stakeholders on a single platform to create a barrier-free and inclusive world.

The Cover Project distributes free umbrellas this monsoon to Mumbai's street children

It’s that time of the year when Mumbai gets flooded with rainwater - roads, and houses are often submerged, the coast and beaches see constant high tides. While many enjoy the season, people living in the slums get affected by the lashing winds and heavy rain.

According to a census study conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and a group of NGOs, 36,154 children live on the streets in Mumbai with no shelter, and this is really a matter of concern. Addressing this issue in its own way, a social initiative called The Cover Project has been providing these children with free umbrellas since 2018.

This café in Chhattisgarh will let you pay for a meal with plastic waste

In order to incentivise responsible plastic collection and reuse, this ‘garbage café’ at Ambikapur, Surat district of Chhattisgarh, offers free meals to ragpickers and the homeless in exchange of plastic waste.

The café, the first-of-its-kind in India, is run by Ambikapur’s municipal corporation, and will provide a free meal for every kilo of trash a person can provide, and free breakfast for 500 grams of waste collected. The civic body is also looking at giving shelter to these people.

(Edited by Megha Reddy)

ALSO READ

From India’s first male model with autism to creating art from discarded bottles, the top socia...

ALSO READ

From planting trees in memory of loved ones to a techie teaching organic farming - here are the...