P.V. Raji, a 48-year-old autorickshaw driver, gets a flurry of calls every day. Before COVID-19, the calls were from her customers reaching out to her to get dropped at their destination. Now, they are from known and unfamiliar families, all starving, reaching out to her for help. She makes a note of each one’s needs and then sits down to make over a dozen calls, seeking help for those in need.
Despite her own struggle in the last three months, she has distributed groceries to nearly 300 families — from fellow auto drivers to physically challenged persons. “This isn’t easy yet possible because some customers and well-wishers come forward to donate. I continue to request in social media every now and then and seeing that, people buy us provisions or send money with which I buy for these families,” she says.
Like most auto drivers, she too endures a struggle; but her six sisters, in turn, have been sending money to her for the last four months with which she now runs her family, says Raji.
“I have to extend this kindness to others. I cannot afford to buy for everyone but I know which ones are distraught and hence seek out assistance for them and then distribute to various families every week or every 10 days,” she adds.
In 1999, Raji, married to the love of her life, came down to Chennai from Coimbatore with a dream of nothing but a comfortable happy life. Like many other women auto drivers in the city, she too faced an array of challenges and those experiences have transformed her and helped her reach out to others.
“Many are willing to donate, but don’t know how to find the deserving ones. I have realised there is a lot of happiness in giving; there are still several families who need food, if more come forward to donate, more families will be able to have their meal,” she adds.
