RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: We can do so little alone, but can achieve a lot collectively. This is the slogan of social worker Dr G Rambabu who has dedicated his life for uplift of senior citizens, destitutes and women in the twin Godavari districts.
“Annadata Sukhibhava” is the mantra that is chanted regularly in the Swarnandhra Seva Samstha. People in the organisation can worship as per their beliefs. Swami Vivekanandha and Dr BR Ambedkar are my gurus. I am a follower of these two great personalities,” 53-year-old Rambabu says.
Rambabu hails from Yandamuru village in Karapa mandal near Kakinada. After his education, he joined the LIC as a clerk. Not satisfied with the job, he quit and started Swarnandhra Seva Samstha in 1998 at Lalacheruvu.
Later, he started an old age home, which provides shelter to 300 people. He also opened a tailoring centre, Volunteer Internship programme, city shelter home, computer training centre and the wall of happiness programme.
Rambabu never sought a single rupee for his social service activities, but instead contributed his monthly earnings and even withdrew his PF to invest in the old age home. He took bank loans and spent them on voluntary activities. His family members never discouraged him. Rambabu told TNIE 7,500 and 5,000 women underwent tailoring and computer training in the centre. “We collect clothes and furniture from people and distribute them to the poor. This programme, which is called the Wall of Happiness, is popular in the West,’’ he says. So safe is the old age home that even police personnel admit single women there for some time. Separated couples get reunited with their family members in Swarnandhra. “There have been several such incidents here,” he says.
Modernisation and globalisation brought with it many changes. The social fabric has been torn asunder. Several families were scattered across the country and abroad. The fibre of the joint family has nearly crumbled and now people prefer nuclear family set-up. Things have to come to such a pass that many children abandon their parents at the old age home, he says.
During the first Covid-19 wave, it provided food to migrant workers and destitutes for 300 days. “During the second phase, we did poor feeding for a 100 days. Swarnandhra provided shelter to scores of migrant workers. We also provide breakfast, lunch, snacks, clothes, blankets face masks, sanitisers and a host others,” he said. It also conducted 1,000 eye camps till now. “The organisation runs donations made by philanthropists,’’ Rambabu says.
Inspired by him, IAS and IPS officers, officials and businessmen have stopped celebrating birthdays in star hotels, but instead organise poor feeding. “Any person irrespective of caste and religion can knock our door. Our kitchen is never closed. Food would be served to hungry persons at all times, day or night,” Rambabu says.