THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ignoring the scorching afternoon sun, Ratheesh Kumar was coasting along the Sasthamangalam-Vellayambalam road. An online food order was ready, and he had to deliver it on time. No sooner had he got his hands on the items from a well-known food spot in the city, Ratheesh was raring to go.
Adjusting his Zomato t-shirt, the 36-year-old starts his electric wheelchair, also known as a mobility scooter, and speeds to the delivery point.
“It was in 2016, when engaged in tile work in Kollam, that I fell from the building. The injury confined me to a wheelchair, but the show had to go on. When I came to know about this opportunity, I did not have second thoughts,” Ratheesh said. A native of Vellanad, he has been operating within the city for the last six months, making deliveries that do not stretch beyond 5km, and earning up to Rs 1,000 on some days.
“At times, deliveries do get delayed, but I have not faced even one instance where a customer behaved badly towards me,” said Santhosh Marshall, another differently abled delivery partner. “Some even step out of their houses or apartments to receive the order,” he added.
Even amidst the pain of the injury of falling from a coconut tree 19 years ago, the Valiyathura native said that although the work does not ensure a steady income stream, holding on to every opportunity is important to overcome life’s battles.
Ratheesh and Santhosh are just two of a group of 11 who have been supported by the NGO CanWalk and Adarsh Rehabilitation Centre in finding sources of livelihood. Their mobility scooters were largely funded by the SP Adarsh Foundation.
“There are disabled delivery partners in cities like Bengaluru and Chennai. When I realised the work could offer people a dignified way to earn a living, we moved forward with it,” said CanWalk founder and chairman Gokul Retnakar.
A differently abled person himself, Gokul said that online delivery provides an immediate income, which many prefer. “People doubted its success, but today 11 partners are active in Thiruvananthapuram alone, and more are expected join in,” he said.
However, the novelty of the cause doesn’t override the challenges. Topography, sustaining the battery levels of wheelchairs, which take around four hours to charge fully, occasional long-distant deliveries, and, even nuisance created by stray dogs, especially at night, are some of the obstacles they face on a daily basis.
So the next time your mobile food app tells you your order might get delayed, remember: offering a little reassurance matters more than a few minutes of mild hunger!