COIMBATORE: After watching a video of two children, along with their father, selling flowers on Maruthamalai Main Road in the city, DMK MP from Dharmapuri S Senthilkumar collected Rs 1.25 lakh by posting a message in his Twitter account to help the kids meet their education expenses.
A Shabbir Ahmed, who earned a livelihood by selling chickpeas and cucumbers in trains, lost his source of income due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown. With no other way, he decided to sell flowers along with his two children.
Though the MP posted the video in his Twitter account with an aim to collect at least Rs 80,000, the donations to Shabbir’s account crossed Rs 1 lakh in a day. Thanking the MP, Shabbir told TNIE that he had received more than Rs 1.25 lakh so far the amount would be used to pay the pending school fees of this children, who are studying in a private school.
“By selling flowers, I am able to earn just Rs 300 a day which is not enough to run the family. Now, I have decided not to involve my kids in selling flowers,” he said, adding that he has been suffering from epilepsy since his childhood and was earning Rs 500 a day until the lockdown ruined his livelihood.
It’s no just Shabbir and his children who are hit hard by the lockdown. There are many others like them.
C Priya who is studying in class VIII in Kaliveerampalayam government higher secondary school said that she has been selling face masks and gloves to the commuters, and her brother, studying in class X, started delivering newspapers support the family.
When asked about online classes, she said that there is no TV in her house and it’s impossible for her to watch Kalvi Tholaikaatchi. Another class VIII student, M Shivaranjini, studying in Vadavalli Panchayat Union Middle School, said that she started selling vegetables on the side of Vadavalli - Thondamuther road to help her father, who is down with diabetes and associated complications. “Only if I sell vegetables, we can manage our family’s monthly expenses. I study my lessons in the evening after my work and I am not able to watch Kalvi Tholaikaatchi due to my work.”