NELLORE: An Assistant Professor who worked for a salary of Rs 50,000 per month in Belluru of Karnataka State has left his job to serve the needy in his hometown - Nellore city.
Observing the plight of the homeless in the city during lockdown, he formed a team with around 80 volunteers, which in no time grew up into a 300-member strong foundation -- Hands On -- where 90 volunteers serve the needy.
The team has set an example by taking leftover food after marriage parties at function halls in Nellore city and rural area limits to the doorstep of the poor and slum dwellers for the last three months. The leftover food in functions which would otherwise have landed in a landfill, eventually end up providing much-needed nutrition to those who need it the most.
D Ramesh hailing from Nellore city completed his post graduation in JNTU Anantapur and started working as an Assistant Professor in the department of pharmaceutical chemistry in Sri Adichunchanagiri College of Pharmacy located at BG Nagara in Belluru of Karnataka. Even before he came home and took up serving the needy, Ramesh involved himself in the service programme, albeit indirectly. He used to spend half of his salary for a service programme through his friends or various NGOs.
In January, he returned home for holidays, but was stuck in the city following Covid-19 lockdown. During that period, he observed poor, especially homeless, suffer from hunger pangs. Moved by their plight, he decided to help them.
With friends and acquaintances and some other like-minded people, he built a team and started providing the food. Most of the volunteers are engaged in menial jobs in Nellore city and rural area limits and during their leisure time, they volunteer for Hands On Foundation.
Ramesh said after he initiated the service programme, several joined him voluntarily. The foundation had also received donations from students of the college in Karnataka where Ramesh used to work.
“We had started offering night meals and midday meal programmes for some days, after receiving some donations from patrons across the district. Some of the persons from Karnataka and also from across the district have been sending contacts of locals to get some donations in the form of food items and clothes,” he said.
Even though the Adichunchanagiri college asked him to return to work, Ramesh has politely refused, as he wanted to continue his service activities in his hometown. He has now applied for jobs in the local colleges and is planning to expand his service activities to other cities as well.