Vijay Kashyap was a broken man after the riots in Delhi last year. A resident of the city’s Shiv Vihar area, which was one of the focal points of the violence, Vijay used to live with his mother and siblings in a small house.
His father was away in Mumbai, where he used to run a small food cart, trying to earn a living good enough to support himself and his family. His family back in Delhi would wait anxiously every month for money to arrive from Mumbai. Vijay’s brother managed a small shop in Delhi. Their existence was as modest as it could possibly get, if not hand-to-mouth.
Vijay and his family were already struggling when the riots made matters inestimably worse. They were looted and their house was vandalised. They lost everything, from cash to jewellery, which the family had accumulated painstakingly over the years. The rioters burned down the little ration that the family was left with too. Vijay and his family were devastated. No help was forthcoming from the government either.
When one of our sewa volunteers shared with us the plight of Vijay and his family, we rushed to their help as part of our riot rehabilitation drive. Sewa Nyaya Utthan Foundation immediately transferred some funds to Vijay’s brother, which helped him in replenishing his shop with stocks. Vijay’s father returned home and started a food business in Delhi itself.
The lockdown, which came close on the heels of the riots, was a double whammy for Vijay. It destroyed livelihoods and drove people to the verge of collapse. Vijay also was not spared from this ordeal. Distressed, he approached us for help.
Our founders decided to hire Vijay as a volunteer in our food distribution campaign. Vijay was made our ‘sahyogi’ (assistant/volunteer) and helped us in feeding several hungry families. We paid him well, and he moved on only after he could find solid ground under his feet. Now, his brother’s shop is functioning well, and his father’s food cart is also fetching good money.
The foundation came to Vijay’s aid also when his sister needed emergency surgery.
Vijay today has grown beyond being just one of our beneficiaries. He is now part of our family. His story is also an example of the extent we are willing to go to for helping people in need. Do support our work so that we are able to reach more and more people like Vijay.
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