Their hearts beat for the poor and needy

KADAPA:  For the 450 poor families from various parts of Kadapa district, the first Sunday every month comes as a breather as they get their quota of essential commodities from Arrahmaan Imdaad Welfare Society located at Krishna Circle in Kadapa.For the past seven years, brothers Shaik Mahaboob Basha and Shaik Jilani Basha, have been providing essential commodities to 450 poor families. They believe hunger and poverty do not have a religion.

The brothers frequently visit various parts of the district as part of their business. They have a popular tyres business in Kadapa. To support the genuine persons who are in need, they themselves have identified the beneficiaries. “We visit slum areas in Kadapa and other places of the district and identify those who are in need of support. We identify those who are not in a position to work — physically challenged and widows. If anyone approaches us, we note down their address and personally visit them to assess their living conditions,’’ Basha said. 

Jilani said they also organise community feeding for the poor. “We receive contributions from philanthropists. We want to serve every section of the society irrespective of caste and religion. We are planning to set up a medical centre to extend free medical service to the poor,’’ he told TNIE.“We have been getting the essential commodities from the brothers for the past five years. With the supplies we get, we can run the family for at least 15 days,’’ Rajammalu, a beneficiary from Kadapa, said. Another beneficiary, Ghousia, said the Society has been providing them essential commodities for the past six years and are also financially supporting small traders.

During Covid-19 lockdown, the brothers provided food packets daily to 400 poor people. Now, with the situation returning to normalcy, food packets are distributed to 150 people daily. Their menu also includes mutton and chicken biryani on weekends. The brothers also run five ambulances to shift the dead bodies free of cost. They also operate ‘Vaikunta Rathams’ (to carry dead bodies to the burial grounds) free of cost.  “We provide the ambulance free of cost if we have to shift the bodies locally. Otherwise, we provide the ambulance and the people have to bear the expenses of diesel and hire a driver,’’ Basha said, adding the ambulances will be available 24x7 for the people.

Further, to support people to stand on their own legs, the brothers extend financial support to those who want to set up small businesses. “We provide pushcarts and also whatever material they want to sell to earn their livelihood,’’ Jilani said. The Society also provides sewing machines and wet grinders to the poor women and also the support the poor people to perform marriages of their children. Those who have the identity card of the Society can also avail free medicare at select hospitals in the district.