Old Hands Nurturing New Dreams

Meetha Ram overwhelms at the memory of being a homeless family 8 year old self along with 6 year old brother and his mother. Days went by begging and nights were spent on footpath,without even a decent bed sheet. All the weathers were to be faced without any shelter, and stigma of being a beggar. We may sympathize but not empathize as how degrading it feels while begging and getting insults or money likewise. We often hear about stop begging and start working, but how many actually help them get rid of begging. This story is about a kind old couple –Shri Jayanti bhai Patel and his wife Shrimati Aruna ben Patel who did not just say, but gave their life to improve life of many others.

Shri Jayanti bhai and Shrimati Aruna ben who are now senior citizens has helped during various natural calamities like flood, earthquake etc. and are inspiration to many. Both of them also remained actively helpful during Corona times. They now run a program called “educated society free of child beggars”in Mehsana, Gujarat. This program is being functioning from the year 2000 and has 245 tents currently. These tents have become abode for those homeless children, who had accepted their fate to be in dark corners forever. Children who live here were not just beggars, but were also trapped in criminal activities. These kids are now studying and carving dreams of becoming self-dependent.

Gujarat’s regional Sewa Pramukh, Shri Ashwin Kadecha said that from 1984 to 1992 Shri Jayanti bhai was Nagar Karyavah in Palanpur. He gave his services in Laghu Udyog Bharti (small scale industry}an organization of RSS fold, till 2000. He was President of Vividh Laxmi Vidya Mandir School in Palanpur and was very consideratetowards children. This couple used to get upset at seeing tribal children roaming naked at the foothills of Aravali Mountains.Shrimati Aruna ben tells that they formed a group of 500 ladies, each contributing Rs.10 per month, to start a Bal Sanskar Kendra (child development center). This center in Palanpur is now known as North Gujarat Lok Kalyan Trust and is maintaining a free hostel for around 250 children.

In 2000, when Shri Jayanti bhai was transferred to Mehsana, he was dismayed at seeing child beggars on the streets. He decided to do something about it and arranged tents for 45 children in the age group of 6 to 15 years along with their parents. He took permission from District collector to erect tents on government land, so that these deprived families can stay there. Once these kids were free from clutches of hunger and homelessness, they became constructive. They were admitted into appropriate schools, and now the number of children going to school has increased to 300. Every year, this couple enthusiastically arranges school fees, uniforms, books for these children. They also take children for an annual study tour.

Meetha Ram was one of these kids and now he proudly cooks delicious food in Dev Narayan restaurant in Bhilwara. This couple has been doing this for past 20 years and now 10 families are living in their own house, while 22 others are about to do the same.

This couple is not just working for people but environment too. They are active in inspiring for tree planting. Again they led by example as they plant around 20,000 trees every year at Public places. In 2016, Gujarat government awarded Shri Jayanti bhai with ‘Green Brigadier Award’.

Shrimati Aruna ben is mindful of food wastage. At seeing wastage of leftover food at big event, she got an idea to start “AkshayRath”. She collected the left-over but still edible food and within 2 hours distributed this food among poor and needy. Every day, 500 to 5000 people are served with the help of Akshay Rathand this defines the success of this program. In Mehsana, around 6 institutions related to food remain in contact with Akshay Rath program and there is a helpline number too. Today, around 60 people help Shri Jayanti bhai in Mehsana selflessly.

This is an exceptional couple as even at this age they empower others rather than being dependent on anyone. They are inspirational but kind, down-to-earth yet resourceful. They are rare kind of people who don’t just say but do and society needs more such people.