Sabir Hussain/ New Delhi

A visit to a hospital in Bengaluru to see a friend’s child in 2016 changed Syed Gulab’s life forever and turned him from an ordinary citizen into a messiah of sorts for the less privileged.

That year, he had returned from Dubai where had worked for seven years as an automobile spray painter and was trying to set up his own business when that visit to the hospital spurred him to become a man with a mission.

That mission was to try his best to ensure that attendants of patients in the hospitals do not go hungry for want of money.

“When I had gone to the hospital to see my friend’s child I saw that many of the attendants of patients were hesitant to spend money on food because the treatment was already draining them financially. It was as if they were starving themselves to save every penny to pay for the treatment of their family members who were admitted to the hospital. It was a heartbreaking moment for me,” 44-year-old Gulab told Awaz-theVoice.

“I decided then and there that I should do something to help these people and the following Sunday I cooked food and took it outside the hospital and fed about 200 people,” he said.

Syed Gulab supervising food distribution in Bengaluru.

For six months, it used to be a weekly exercise to take the food to a road junction in Bengaluru’s Someshwara Nagar that has four major hospitals around it – Nimhans, Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital, Rajiv Gandhi TB Hospital, and the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital.

“When I went for the first time to distribute food, many of the people were hesitant to take it. It was as if my efforts were an insult to their pride and honour. But I convinced them that I was just trying to help and that there was no shame in accepting food,” he said.

Gulab did not continue with spray painting work and instead became a motor vehicle insurance agent. But the service of feeding the attendants of patients remains his priority.

“Allah has been kind to me and I told myself that as long as I can afford it, I would continue to help those in dire need. I have taken an office for my insurance work and employed a person for the job,” Gulab said.

His wife and brother have backed him for his charity work. Gulab has three children but he hasn’t let his family life get into the way of his service.  He acknowledged that the beginning was difficult because he is not rich but his goodwill ensured that he had enough support to start what his heart told him.

“The first few weeks we cooked at home. Later, I took up another place on rent where we cook the food. Earlier, we used to take the food in utensils in a van and distribute it. But post-Covid, we pack the food for distribution at 12:30 pm.”

Syed Gulab with oxygen concentrators and cylinders that he had procured during the wave of Covid-19.

There are two cooks who prepare the food which is mostly rice, dal, and vegetables but the menu is changed every day. While Gulab began his service with his own money, he set up the Roti Charity Trust four years ago to ensure that resources won’t be a problem. Roti Charity Trust has also taken the help of fundraising platform Milaap to boost its finances.

“Like all charities, we also rely on donations. Milaap has been a good platform to raise funds. I am also particularly thankful to Azhar Maqsusi who runs the Sani Welfare Foundation in Hyderabad. He sends us 25 to 30 bags of rice every month which is very helpful. We are able to feed about 250 people every day. ”

Two years ago, Gulab diversified further by opening a free clinic for the poor in his neighbourhood.

“It is called the Community Health Clinic. There is a doctor and a nurse who attend to people with minor illness at the clinic from 6 pm to 9 pm.”

Roti Charity Trust managed to work through their first Covid-induced lockdown without much difficulty because it had the required permission. But Gulab expanded the scope of his charity during the lockdown and distributed free dry ration among the poor. 

By the time the second wave of Covid struck, India faced a chronic shortage of medical oxygen but Gulab was not one to be disheartened.

“We procured 50 cylinders from a producer in Mumbai and distributed them to those who needed oxygen. We got them refilled from Hosur in Tamil Nadu which is just 40 km from Bengaluru. We also procured 10 oxygen concentrators that proved to be very helpful during the crisis.”

Roti Charity Trust helped many underprivileged children access online classes at its medical clinic. 

Despite his involvement in the expanding activities of his charity, his main focus remains on feeding the poor at the hospitals.

“No one should go hungry. And since God has given me the wherewithal to serve the needy, I will continue to do so in mission mode,” Gulab said.

While Gulab is a beacon of hope for those whom he feeds, he is also a shining example that one need not be rich to start philanthropic work. All it needs is conviction and faith in one’s own ability.   

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