SILCHAR, Aug 27 - In a noble gesture, a local NGO has reached out to a 56-year-old cobbler from Dwarbond area with resources for a sustainable living.
Arijit Goswami, general secretary of the NGO Team One Foundation said that NGO member Pinku Malakar came across the cobbler, Sankar Rabidas, who used to reach the Irongmara market from his home in the interiors of Dwarbond, travelling a distance of at least 12km on a cycle which he hired for Rs 30 per day.
�As many students from Assam University Silchar stay at Irongmara, the place is usually a buzzing locale for business for local traders. The cobbler used to earn his living mainly by mending shoes of the students. But since the pandemic broke out and the subsequent lockdown, his daily earnings dropped to below Rs 20. Realising his plight, we reached out to him with a cycle, a cow and a calf as well. We also handed him Rs 12,500 in cash so that he can sustain for some time amidst the crisis. The fund was raised from contributions made by our members,� Goswami told The Assam Tribune on Thursday.
IB Ubadia, president of the foundation, said, �The poor man was struggling to earn a living, and our members decided to extend help.�
Humbled by the gesture of the NGO, Sankar Rabidas expressed his gratitude, saying, �I have no words to thank the people who helped me out in the midst of all this coronavirus crisis.�
