PUDUKKOTTAI: Every day, social media is inundated with requests for beds, oxygen, medicines for covid patients. Good Samaritans are helping out in whatever way possible. One such is a 42-year-old Sivakumar from Pudukkottai. Lacking funds to help others, he decided to conduct a Moi Virundhu with what he was best at making tea.
He set up a small hundial at his tea shop ‘Bhagawan Tea Stall’ in Vamban and put up a notice saying that all proceeds from 6 am to 6 pm on Wednesday would be sent to help people suffering due to Covid. The tea was the virundhu and it was free. Customers just had to drop whatever amount they wanted to, in the hundial.
Struggling to make ends meet, Sivakumar, who is the sole bread winner of his family of seven, always believes in giving. “In the last year, post lockdown, my income dropped a lot. I used to earn Rs 600 to Rs 700 per day. Now, I struggle to even make Rs 300. When I saw the news of people suffering due to lack of oxygen, beds etc in Delhi, it really affected me. Though I do not know them, they seem like a family, I want to help them,” he said.
Since he did not have money to help others, he decided to do this crowdfunding. Sivakumar has been running the shop for almost 10 years. He has collected Rs 14,429 and would be handing over it to the Collector on Thursday to be sent to Delhi.
“Even if I can buy an oxygen cylinder for one person in need, I’ll be happy. I hope to save at least one person from distress through my contribution,” he said. This is not the first time that he has lend a helping hand. In June 2020, he distributed milk to children free of cost. In December 2018, he waived off all dues of his customers for the past eight years, as they had been affected due to Gaja Cyclone.
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