CHENNAI: Braving the intense Chennai heat, K Rajeev is busy serving food to scores of people lined in front of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH). Stirring a large pot, he hands over steaming porridge to attendants, who can then feed patients. The 44-year-old man, who runs a tea shop on South Mint Street in Park Town, has already cooked a variety of rice dishes for them and is now serving them with the help of volunteers.
For over a decade, Rajeev has cooked meals for complete strangers, a practice that began with a simple request. One afternoon, three women came to his shop asking if he could blend cooked rice in a mixer. Rajeev obliged without hesitation without charging them any money, never anticipating how this simple act would soon turn into a mission that would touch hundreds.
As word spread, more people began showing up with the same request, piquing Rajeev’s curiosity. Eventually, he learned that the women were attendants at the RGGGH, and they needed blended rice to make porridge for bedridden or tube-fed patients. “Porridge wasn’t available at nearby restaurants. These attendants come from far-off villages and are new to the city. They were left helpless,” recalls Rajeev.
Moved by their situation, the humble tea shop owner decided to step in. He began making porridge with 1-2 kilograms of rice, distributing it free of cost to hospital attendants who needed it for patients. Today, the effort has grown beyond his original intentions – he now cooks with sacks of rice daily, offering porridge among other dishes to hundreds outside RGGGH.
Many attendants struggled with finding affordable food, as they spent long hours at the hospital, often far from home. Determined to support them, Rajeev expanded his menu to include a variety of rice dishes, offered daily for lunch and dinner. For lunch he offers variety rice and for dinner, he serves string hoppers (idiyappam) with coconut milk, providing a comforting, nutritious meal for about 300 people each evening. For those with a sweet tooth, Rajeev offers treats as well. Lunch feeds around 500 people, and his efforts have remained unwavering for over a decade.
Over time, friends and well-wishers, inspired by his selflessness, have come forward to support his mission. “In a month, I get at least 10 sponsors,” says Rajeev, noting that many choose to sponsor food on special occasions such as birthdays or anniversaries.
However, sustaining this initiative has not been without challenges. On most days, he funds the meals through earnings from his tea stall and a nearby eatery. Rajeev’s workday is especially challenging on holidays and weekends when the nearby Southern Railway Headquarters office closes, leading to fewer customers and a tighter budget.
There have been days when Rajeev had to buy provisions on credit from shops due to insufficient funds. “I have started this initiative, and I cannot stop it,” he says.
“Many people wait in line long before our food cart arrives. I cannot disappoint them. I cannot tell them, ‘Today, there’s no sponsor, so no food.’ I haven’t stopped, not even for a day, and sometimes I wonder how I manage.” Yet, despite his best efforts, Rajeev admits he isn’t entirely satisfied, as the need often outstrips what he can supply. “Many go empty-handed because the food runs out. It hurts when they leave disappointed,” he adds.
V Smitha, a railway employee, sponsored the day’s food on her daughter’s 15th birthday. “I used to drink tea from his shop and have known him for a few years,” Smitha says. “When I learned about his charity, I wanted to contribute.” She joined Rajeev and a few volunteers, distributing meals to the waiting attendants and families of patients.
For people like S Chitra, an attendant from Arani whose daughter was recently admitted with a cardiac problem, Rajeev’s generosity has been a lifeline. “I don’t know anyone in Chennai, so this porridge is very useful,” she says as she waits in the queue for a meal.
Meals are no cakewalk
Rajeev funds the meals through earnings from his tea stall and a nearby eatery. There have been days when he had to buy provisions on credit from shops due to insufficient funds.