From feeding the poor to changing the perception about HIV, here are the top social stories of the week

The Dalai Lama once rightfully said, “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.”

And, amidst the coronavirus pandemic, many individuals proved the same by helping out society. This week, SocialStory saw an amalgamation of stories, including entrepreneurs providing contactless litter picking machines, individuals cracking the UPSC exam with minimal resources, and more.

Here are the top social stories for the week:

Pandemic Heroes: This mother-son duo are distributing cooked meals to the needy in Mumbai via their tiffin service

The pandemic forced many people, especially the underprivileged and migrant labourers out of jobs, as well as deprived them of shelter, food, even water.

Since May 2020, when the crisis was at its peak, 26-year-old Harsh Mandavia, and his mother Heena Mandavia, 49, have been selflessly distributing food at their eatery to homeless people and unprivileged of the society.

The mother-son duo run ‘Harsh Thali and Parathas’ tiffin service. They started feeding people for free after one of their regular customers inspired them and has served over 8,500 home-cooked meals so far.

This Pune startup has developed a contactless litter picking machine to ensure the safety of sanitation workers

Sanitation workers, for a long time, have been using their hands to manually pick up wastes, which in turn can lead them to skin infections, respiratory ailments, cuts, needle wounds, and more. 

After taking into consideration the concerns of such sanitation workers and waste pickers, Spruce Up Industries, a Pune-based cleantech startup, developed a hassle-free litter picking machine called ‘Jatayu.’ 

Founded by Abhishek Shelar in 2016, the cleantech startup is attempting to protect the health, safety, and dignity of the 1.5 million to four million waste pickers in the country through the intervention of mechanisation and technology. 

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This flower-seller from Mumbai stood for 7 hours in the rain, warning vehicles of an open manhole

These Tamil Nadu women removed their sarees to rescue youngsters from drowning

While some heroes wear capes, some wear sarees. Recently, in the Kottarai village in Tamil Nadu, three women rescued two youths from drowning in the village’s dam by using their sarees.

The Kottarai dam is being constructed across the Marudaiyaru river at Rs 108 crore expenditure. In the past few weeks, the water in the dam had increased due to incessant rain.

Thanks to the quick-wittedness of the three ladies, two youngsters Karthick and Senthivelan survived the ordeal, while Pavithran and Ranjith, drowned in the dam.

Meet the man who set up Café Positive to change negative perceptions about HIV

The stigma surrounding AIDS may have reduced in the last decade, but HIV-positive people continue to be perceived negatively. 

Kolkata resident 55-year-old Kallol Ghosh aims to change that with his initiative Café Positive. The place, known for its wafting aroma of coffee and typically buzzing with professionals, college students, and young adults, is run by a group of teenagers – all of whom were abandoned by their families on learning that they were HIV-positive.

He began by volunteering with organisations such as the United Nations and UNICEF, and went on to establish Organisation for Friends Energies and Resources (OFFER), a non-governmental organisation that provides healthcare, education, and residential facilities to underprivileged children and youngsters affected with HIV/AIDS. 

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This shoe seller's daughter scored 97pc in board exams; MP CM Shivraj Chouhan extends help

This woman from remote village with no electricity or mobile connectivity cracks UPSC

Cracking UPSC exams is not an easy task, especially for those who come from humble backgrounds. Despite devoting many years for the preparation and taking up additional classes, many aspirants fail to clear the civil service examination.

But time and again, youth coming from poor backgrounds have proved that no financial crisis or adversity can stop them from achieving their goals. 

Coming from a small village of Rampur in Uttarakhand, since childhood, Priyanka used to help her father on the farm after her school. Even today, her small mud house is cut off from many of the basic facilities like electricity and mobile connectivity, and can be reached after trekking 15 km from the village of Dewal.

Despite these difficulties, Priyanka has cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in her very first attempt.