Ramu Dosapati, an HR manager by profession, has become the ‘anna data’ (one who feeds rice) of Hyderabad. Known fondly as Ramu Garu, Dosapati has initiated the concept of rice ATM (All-Time Meals/Materials) which he started solely with his own funds. A resident of LB Nagar in Hyderabad, Dosapati is just a call away for those in need in the city.
Speaking to LifeBeyondNumbers, Ramu shared how he has been aiding the distressed.
A few months back in April, Ramu got a call from one of his journalist friend who informed that there were few migrant laborers stranded in a railway junction who had nothing to eat. That is exactly when and where Ramu Garu came to the rescue.
“It was 11:30 in the night when my friend called and told me about the situation. My wife right away prepared meals and I delivered it to the laborers as soon as I could. That is when it struck me that there are a large number of people who have nothing to eat as they have no means of income due to the pandemic,” Ramu shared.
The 42-year-old was also inspired by a watchwoman in his area who have limited funds herself took the pain to feed the ones in need.
Soon after, Ramu withdrew 1 lakh from his savings account, and 3 lakh from his Provident Fund, and set up the one-of-a-kind Rice ATM on April 13. Dosapati’s wife who is a mathematics teacher at school has also contributed largely to his initiative. She has understood her husband’s noble motive and stood by him all the while.
Preparing meals was a strenuous task and it struck Ramu Garu that dry ration is a far better alternative. So he started distributing kits containing rice and other essential commodities like edible oil, pulses, chili powder, turmeric, sugar, and tea which can last a family of 4 for four to five days. He and his wife would pack the ration and Ramu would make rounds in the city to aid the migrant laborers.
When asked if government reliefs were reaching the people. Ramu explained, ”You see, the ration provided by the government is limited. Above that, the digitization of ration distribution has further created issues and ration is not reaching people. They don’t even have money to recharge their phone. How would they receive OTPs on their phones or provide fingerprints while there is the matter of social distancing.”
Corona didn’t just take lives but the livelihood and not only of laborers but skilled and educated mass with promising jobs. Dosapati was contacted by several such people who were struggling to sustain after having lost their jobs. He has been aiding private school teachers, hotel workers, delivery boys, drivers, and private sector employees who have not been receiving their salaries during the pandemic, or have lost their jobs or are unemployed. While conversing with us over the phone, he was interrupted by a similar case.
“There is this guy from Warangal who was working in Hyderabad and living with his wife. Pandemic snatched his job and he went back home but his family asked him to go back to Hyderabad as there were no jobs there. When he contacted me I immediately arranged rations for him. To his dismay, his house owner charged him and asked how he could arrange ration when he hasn’t paid rent for 7 months. I had to call the owner and tell him that we helped him.”
Many volunteers have joined his move and started helping with the packing and distribution of the ration. Ramu ensured that his philanthropic initiative is environmentally friendly, so instead of using single-use plastic, Dosapati is using reusable cloth bags for the packing.
He is now reaching out to 150-170 families each month through Rice ATM.
Yet over 6 months of incessant work, exhausted a lot of his funds and Ramu was on the verge of closing the ATM when people started pouring in donations. Now he has more vigor than ever to take on what he had started.
“With social media posts and media reports, I could reach many people. So now many have been donating rice bags to us to celebrate special occasions like birthdays. This has helped us keep things going. I have also advised them to do similar relief work in their local areas to help out. Hyderabad has over one crore population, and I want to see that no one sleeps hungry,” Dosapati said.
It is people like Dosapati who remind us that humanity is not yet lost. It doesn’t take much to become a good samaritan. All we need is a good intent. Without thinking about how big or small, go out and help someone in need today. You will cherish the smile on their face forever.