Twitterati isn’t just all talk and no action. There are people on the microblogging platform that do care, and the fact was once again proven by an act of empathy and empowerment. One user posted the plight of a Zomato agent who was delivering food on a bicycle in the sweltering heat of Rajasthan at 42 degrees Celsius. A crowdfunding campaign on Twitter then helped the man, a teacher who had lost his job, to buy a bike in less than 24 hours.
On Monday, Twitter user Aditya Sharma posted the photograph of a 31-year-old food delivery person named Durga Meena who had timely delivered his food on a bicycle at a day when the city was bracing heatwave conditions at 42 degrees Celsius. Sharma quizzed Meena about his job and got to know that he is a teacher who lost his job after 12 years and has been delivering food for the past 4 months to earn Rs 10,000. He spoke in English, is a BCom graduate and desires to pursue a masters’ degree in commerce. However, financial strains have forced him to take up a gig with Zomato.
“He knows everything about the internet. Durga told me he wants to have his own laptop with good wifi so he can teach students online because everything is turning towards online. He has taken loans and fulfilling loans from various banks. and tires to save money to purchase a bike”
The delivery agent then urged the Twitter user to fund the down payment of a motorcycle for him, promising that he would return the money in 4 months and pay the installments himself.
The user then urged peers to help him raise Rs 75,000 in crowdfunding. In less than 24 hours, the job was done and today in the afternoon, Sharma posted a photograph with Durga Meena and his new bike at the showroom.
The initiative won more hearts as netizens lauded the efforts of peers.
