A group of autorickshaw drivers in a small village in Kerala have emerged as local heroes after being on a mission ensuring that no one in their locality goes to bed hungry. Pooling their modest resources and time, 20 autorickshaw drivers of Alumpeedika, Ochira in Kollam have been successfully running a public kitchen for the last three years, providing free food to those in need every day.
Anyone who is hungry can walk into the auto stand at Alumpeedika, and they will be provided with a free food packet. The initiative began during the Covid-19 period in 2021 when a handful of drivers, deeply moved by the sight of hungry children and elderly residents, decided to take action.
“It started with a simple idea to arrange food for the people who had been struggling to find work during the lockdown period,” said Sonu P, one of the members in the group. “We realized that even though we don’t have much, together we can make a significant difference,” he told “Open Digest“.
Though they started the public kitchen as a temporary set-up to help people tide over the crisis period during the pandemic, they decided to continue with it, seeing the acceptance from the people.
“We started it as a one-time thing to feed the hungry. But when we realized that our small act had become a big relief to several people, we decided to continue with it,” said Anil Kumar, another member of the group.
Every day, the drivers contribute a portion of their daily earnings to fund the kitchen. Additionally, local businesses and residents have joined in, donating food supplies and money. If all the 20 auto drivers are out for a ride, the local shopkeepers chip in to serve the food.
“We arrange food throughout the day, from breakfast to snacks. Apart from meal packets, we have also arranged biscuits and mineral water so that no one goes empty-handed. We are really proud and happy that we could serve food for all these days without a break, even for a day,” Anil added. For the people of Alumpeedika, the small initiative by the auto drivers is a symbol of hope and kindness.
