If you want to do some noble work for society, then it is not necessary that you start a social organization. You can do good to the people by taking small steps at your level too. If you cannot go and feed yourself to a needy person, then you can support such people, who are doing this kind of work. Similarly, if you want to do something for the education of poor children, you can take responsibility for the education of a child or help a school run by a government or trust. One such story is that of Thota Sridhar, a bus conductor from Andhra Pradesh.
Thota Sridhar, appointed as conductor at RTC bus depot in Kadiri, Andhra Pradesh, pays some of his income every year for the education of children from poor households. He told The Better India, “I am originally from Mulakalcheruvu in Chittoor district. I spent my childhood there and studied up to class X from the same government school. My father farmed and raised the family. Therefore, I have also suffered a financial crunch in my life. ”
After his tenth standard, he moved to Tanakallu in Anantapur and from here he did his further studies. After studying, he got a job as a bus conductor in ‘Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation’ (APSRTC) in 1991. With this job, the financial condition of his house improved to a great extent and he started living in Kadiri with his family. However, he never forgot his place of birth and the people there. He says, “I help people in my community as much as I can. How can I be left behind in the place where I grew up and with whom I moved forward. ”
Every year on Republic Day at Mulakalcheruvu’s ‘Zilla Parishad High School’, he gives 20 to 25 thousand rupees to help the students. These funds help to buy the books, copy, school bags and shoes etc. of the meritorious students of the school who come from economically weaker families. He has been contributing every year since 2015. His contributions have helped more than 100 students so far.
Prabhakar Reddy, a teacher who teaches in high school, says, “I started teaching in this school from 2017 but, two years before that, Sridhar ji is helping the students. He himself has been a student of this school and after his mother’s death in 2014, he started this initiative in his name. His initiative is not only commendable but also inspiring. Every year on 26 January, he comes to school and gives prize money to the children. This year too, he has helped the students of class X. ”
Raghunath, another teacher at the school, explains, “Our school has about 700 students and mostly comes from economically weaker families. Their parents either cultivate or work in the fields of others. There are also many students who are orphans. A little help is also enough for these students. ”
He further says that Sridhar comes here every year on 26 January and encourages children. Also, books are distributed to the children of class X. This gives encouragement to children. With the help of people like Sridhar, many children are able to continue their studies.
Inspired to do good work from the teacher
He was inspired to start this initiative by one of his school teachers. He says, “When I was in school, one of my teachers often used to show the news reports about the crimes in the newspapers and said that if we do not read well and get into the wrong habits and one day we will also be named, like these criminals.” I will print like this. His words impressed me a lot and I was determined in school that if my name was ever printed in a newspaper, then for some good work. Right from school days, a sense of social work and social welfare had started developing in my mind. ”
But he got a chance to work on this thinking, after many years. He says that earlier he used to help people. But in 2014, when his mother died, he thought of starting an initiative in his memory. He started contributing financially to the school, named after his mother ‘Lakshmidevamma’. He says that he will keep doing this work till his last breath. In his work, his family also supports him.
He says, “Saving 1500–2000 rupees every month is not a big deal. For this, we can reduce any of our other expenses. We will help others only then they will be able to help someone else later. This sequence should never stop and only then can we truly move forward. ”
We hope that the rest of the society will also take inspiration from this noble cause. The Better India salute to Sridhar’s generosity.
