HYDERABAD: It’s noon. The stray canines and felines in Rail Vihar, Cherlapally are hopefully waiting for the angel that arrives everyday to feed them their daily, healthy meal. Wearing a simple saree, looking just like anyone of us, 55 year old Maisamma makes her way to the entrance gate of the colony with her bags of rice and chicken not only feed the strays but also cook it lovingly all by herself right there for them. Rain or shine, everyday at noon there she is, feeding the strays diligently.
Rail Vihar a wonted yet scarcely populated colony in EC Nagar Cherlapally, has barely anyone to notice the efforts she puts in every single day. But that isn’t on Maisamma’s mind as she says in all innocence, “I just felt bad for the animals.” Living with her two sons, a daughter-in-law and a granddaughter, Maisamma as the elder of the house could live a relaxed life with everything within reach. However, something she noticed a few months ago tugged at her heartstrings.
“There wasn’t anyone to feed them. I saw dogs and cats dying on the street,” says Maisamma who’s always had a love for animals. “I felt bad for them. I took time to feed one or two in the beginning. But there are over 20 dogs and cats here. No living being ever should have to fight each other for food. I decided that it isn’t too much to do to cook for them everyday.” says the homemaker.
Anjaneyulu her elder son says, “We used to have two dogs in our house as kids. She was always loving towards them. She has immense empathy for the animals in our colony and once she started feeding them it became a daily routine. It is a part of her life now.” Anjaneyulu, his younger brother and his wife too are sympathetic and supportive of her cause and help her out when she needs although she is someone who loves to do it all by herself.
One would imagine that a regular family living on a monthly wage from the two sons would find it ridiculous to spend hard-earned money to feed stray dogs everyday but this family isn’t like that. “We all know how much it means to her and it means just as much to us. And because we have had pets as children we have a connection with the animals and if she is helping them out in her means then we have no problem with it,” says a supportive Anjaneyulu.
Maisamma picks up a bag of rice and chicken every day which costs her about a `100 – `150 everyday and cooks them on an open fire in the bushes where she made herself a makeshift kitchen. she divides them into portions for each corner of the colony. For the cats she puts together a mix of rice and milk she gets in the same budget. She fills up bowls in the corners with water for the animals which delightedly leap on her as they see her approaching. “It just costs some `3,000 every month.
It isn’t much,” says Maisamma who is a woman of few words. With no greed for praise or recognition, the grandmom goes about her business everyday without thinking of it as a noble deed. This is her daily routine and nothing else for her. “I have cooked everyday of my life. It isn’t much work to make some rice and chicken for these strays. It’s an hour’s work and I love doing it. It is very fulfilling,” she says nonchalantly. As the adage goes, “The true test of a person’s character is what he does when no one is watching.” No matter who interrupted her or chatted her up like we did, she went about her business as she did everyday. That’s a good samaritan if we have ever heard of one.
What it takes
Maisamma is a 55 year-old homemaker
She cooks for and feed 25 strays every day at noon
It costs her `3,000 on an average each month