The economic condition of all sections of the people in the country has been affected due to the Corona pandemic. But it is also true that in the midst of difficult circumstances, many people emerge as a beacon of hope. Some called such people ‘Corona Warrior’, while some called ‘Real Life Hero’. Many of these people are still engaged in helping the needy. One of such people is Ramu Dosapati, who lives in Hyderabad.
Ramu, who started ‘Rice ATM’ for the poor, needy and destitute people during the first lockdown in the year 2020, is now not only helping in providing ration but also providing jobs and employment to the people.
Speaking to The Better India, Ramu said, “Since completing my MBA in 2003, I have been working as an HR in the corporate sector. Both my post and salary have become very good over the years. However, till 2006 my world was limited only to my own family and my dreams. But in 2006, I had an accident in which I suffered a serious head injury because I was not wearing a helmet. At that time my wife was pregnant. I myself was admitted to the hospital. During that time the only thing going on in my mind was that I want to live for my wife and my child coming into this world.
Ramu told that at that critical moment he was only praying to God that if he got this second chance of life, he would use it in the service of others. Will give some part of his earnings and time for the betterment of the society. So after recovering from the hospital and going home, Ramu started some campaign for the betterment of the society. First of all, he started a campaign to make people aware of wearing helmets because he understood his mistake and wanted more and more people to learn from his accident.
Inspired by security guard in lockdown
Recalling the days of lockdown, Ramu says that when the lockdown was announced in the year 2020, he did not leave the house for the first 20 days. He had decided that he would stay indoors so that the chain would be broken. But on 13 April 2020, for his son’s birthday, he went to a shop to buy chicken. He was standing outside the shop waiting for his turn. But the woman who had gone before him for a long time did not come out, so he asked the shopkeeper why it was taking so long.
“I came to know that a woman named Lakshma, who works as a security guard, is getting 20 kg chicken packs. When she came out, I asked her what would she do with so much chicken? So he told that many people from other states and cities are stuck in Hyderabad. She has neither work nor money, she cooks and delivers food for these people,” he said.
On asking Lakshma a little more, it came to know that her salary is only 6000 rupees / month. Out of which she is spending four thousand rupees on feeding these people. Ramu says, “When I asked Lakshma if Rs 2000 would cover the cost of her house, she said, ‘I am a local resident here. I know Telugu, know many people. If I had a problem with money or food, I would ask the local people for help. But these people who came from other places neither know the language here nor anyone else from whom they can ask there. After listening to her, I felt that when she can help people, then why can’t I and from that day I got involved in this work.
In the beginning, Ramu along with Lakshma started distributing food to the people. But when Corona’s cases started increasing, he opened a ration center under his apartment, which he named ‘Rice ATM’. From here any needy and destitute can take dry ration for free. In dry ration, he packed pulses, rice, oil and other spices and gave it to the people. He says that his ATM means ‘Any Time Meal.’
He gave ration to most of the migrant laborers till June 2020. But after June most of the people returned to their homes. But still there were many people in the city who lost their jobs in the lockdown or someone’s work was stopped.
“I felt very bad when a woman came to me and asked if she could get ration for her family. He had lost his job and had no income for several months due to lack of work. There were many people in the city who lost their jobs or Corona snatched many working members of their household from them. So we continued our campaign so that no one goes to bed hungry. Many people in the city are now helping me in this work,” he says.
Spent more than 50 lakh rupees
Ramu has so far spent more than Rs 50 lakh on this campaign. He told that at present he lives in a one BHK flat. But sometime back he had sold the ancestral land in his village so that he could get a 3 BHK flat for his family. He also invested this amount in this campaign and apart from this he is continuously spending from his salary. “We are not an NGO so do not take any donation from anyone. But now our friends and acquaintances have started supporting. On occasions like birthdays, wedding anniversaries of children, these people are now giving ration to the needy,” he said.
Rice ATM has so far helped more than 60 thousand families. Apart from this, for the past few months, he has started ‘Project Prisha’ in collaboration with Yashaswini Jonnalgadda, co-founder of a Hyderabad-based software startup. Through which now they are helping people to get jobs or employment on the basis of their skills. Yashaswini was also helping people at her level during the lockdown. During this he came to know about Ramu’s Rice ATM.
Says Yashaswini, “We decided together that we needed to do more. That’s why we started screening by knowing the skills of the people who came for help. If there was a job anywhere according to their skill, they would be helped. Apart from this, we started providing Food Cart, Iron Cart, Sewing Machine and Tea Stall etc. to such people who cannot do job in company etc. We are not just providing them with stalls or carts but also helping them to set up their small business.”
Sudha, who took his help, says, “My husband and I are artists. I sing at events and my husband is a keyboard player. But when all the events got canceled in the lockdown, it became very difficult for us to run the house. I came to know about Ramu ji in September 2020. First they helped us by giving ration. And now I have been given a sewing machine because I know how to sew. Now at least I am able to meet some of my household expenses.”
Like Sudha, so far through his ‘Project Prisha’ he has been able to provide employment to 825 families and this project is continuing. Ramu told that some time ago he has also given an auto to a family so that they can survive. Ramu says that the family has got full support in all his campaigns so far. Even before this he was working on different issues. Like earlier he had launched a campaign to stop the use of plastic.
Surely, this initiative of Ramu and all the people associated with him is commendable.
We hope more people will take inspiration from him. If you want to get in touch with Ramu, you can visit his Facebook page.
Editing – G N Jha
Also read: Mukesh is helping the poor with ‘Necki Ki Wall’, as well as teaching the lesson of saving
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