#WATWB Month 5: Everyday Heroes

/ July 28, 2017

Hello everyone and welcome to the We Are The World Blogfest, Month 5.

About 5 months back I signed up for this blogfest that concentrates on the good in humanity and aims to spread cheer and bonhomie through stories and news reports of acts of human kindness. Since then I’ve made friends, connections, learnt a few things about what people do to help out others, but more importantly, I’ve realized that even a single act of human kindness can make a huge difference. It doesn’t matter how many it affects. Even if our actions help just one human being, it’s worth making that effort.

This month, #WATWB is being hosted by Simon Falk, Roshan Radhakrishnan, Inderpreet Uppal, Sylvia Stein and Damyanti Biswas.

Should you want to join this initiative and read about how to participate in it, please click here and follow the instructions.

The bigger we are the better we can help humanity!

Last month I couldn’t contribute to #WATWB, because of some family obligations. But if I’m to be very, very honest, I really didn’t want to contribute, even if I could, because I was going through a phase of disenchantment with our kind. I’ve talked about it here. For several days I kept wondering if our goodness meant anything in a world where war was the ultimate remedy for everything. I wondered if we were ever going to stop wanting more for ourselves and just be contented with what we have, as a species. I knew the answer already – never, and yet a small voice within me kept saying that even if the world was going to the dogs, there would still be some of us left who would always think and act for the greater good, and that’s what matters.

We can’t change the world but we can do whatever is in our power to change things even in one single way.

That’s what this blogfest is about.

That is why, my this month’s contribution to the #WATWB blogfest is not about someone who did something kind or humane for others, but rather, received it. It’s the kindness of random strangers towards one single man on his unique quest for knowledge that reinforced my belief that there still is goodness in us humans.

Meet Mr. Vimal Kumar from Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, who undertook several months of journeying across India without spending a single rupee! Yes, you read that right. He traveled for nine months and went through 11 states in India, all without money, but with the hope that he’d be an example of what he preached – do what you believe in!

On his journey he never begged for food, shelter or money. He worked for it by either singing or by doing manual labour. But he credits his survival and the completion of his journeys entirely to the kindness of random people. To read the full story of what he did and why, please click here.

Of course what he did was inspiring because not many can survive a single day without spending money in some form or the other. With just one backpack and the barest of essentials, Mr. Kumar went a pauper, but returned home loaded with knowledge and experience. He proved that you don’t need money, or a cushy job or flashy clothes and gadgets to live a fulfilling life. You need conviction and a will to do what you want to do.

But to me, his story revealed something more – we are capable of goodness. Mr. Kumar himself admits how strangers offered him food, shelter, on occasion giving him money for rides, flights and even teaching him skills like farming and photography, all for free! What did these strangers have to gain from showing kindness to him? Nothing but the satisfaction of helping someone out. If not for human kindness, Mr. Kumar could not have lasted long on this idealistic journey of his.

We all are dependent, in some way or the other, on our community. One may survive without money; there are enough stories about people who survive on scraps from day to day.  But I don’t think we can survive without human support or kindness, however little it may be. The strangers who helped Mr. Kumar may have only helped him in a little way, but that’s all we need to keep goodness in our hearts and in our communities alive – a little help, a little effort, a little hope, because there are no super-heroes in real life;  just everyday heroes who do what humans ought to do.

Once again, please join this blogfest and help it grow by using the #WATWB hashtag on social media.

And remember, your one good deed can also make a difference.

Have a great weekend!

18555851_100676450514066_4494546682437471084_n.jpgCopyright ©2017 Pradita Kapahi.

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43 thoughts on “#WATWB Month 5: Everyday Heroes”

  1. Traveling for nine months without money and surviving is truly a testament to the goodness and kindness of others. It does my heart good to know that so many people helped this man to complete his journey. Thanks for sharing this story and participating in #WATWB!

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    • You’re most welcome Mary. And thank you for visiting and reading this post. Yes, he could not have accomplished that without some help. That’s what I loved about this story. He too has taken home the lesson that aiding others is not about heroism but about during your duty as a human being. Thanks again for visiting. Glad to be a part of this noble initiative ☺️

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    • I know. There is so much that could go wrong when you’re unprepared. He does mention that his body had begun to give up at one point, but then help came in the form of two kind strangers. He does not even remember their names or faces but I’m sure their kindness will have made a mark on him. Thank you for reading and commenting. Have a great day 🙂

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  6. What an inspiring story. Not only does it reinforce my belief in the kindness of strangers, but I’m impressed that he’s using this adventure to continue to make a difference himself as well. In choosing to give back and using what he’s learned to focus on developing future actions you can see how good deeds can snowball into something even larger and more beautiful. Thanks for sharing this story.

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  7. Wow… Nice story. I met a man named Harish Bhuvan at Shri Shri Ravishankar Maharaj’s Ashram, Vadodara. He left his prestigious job at IIT-B just to spread a smiles on the face of sick children at hospital. He got huge support in this kind work, and now a days he runs an NGO named Compassionate Clowns. I discussed with him for a while and write a detailed blog on his story on my blog. But it is in gujarati.
    Here is the link. https://sushantdhamecha.wordpress.com/2015/12/20/કમ્પેસનેટ-કલાઉન-દયાળુ-જો
    Sorry for sharing personal blog link.

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  10. Hi Pradita – what an amazing story – Mr Kumar is certainly an example to us all … and yes we can all do something small each and every day or more often to help others – thanks so much for telling us about Mr Kumar – just almost unbelievable … cheers Hilary

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  11. Journeys like these reinforce our faith in humanity! This man was brave to trust in the kindness of strangers, was ready to work in exchange for food, and has now set a great example for others to follow. Kudos to him.

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  12. Inspiring young man, in that he took the journey not seeking hand-outs, working his way through when possible but grateful for when someone showed him kindness. I hope he continues to do good for others long into the future. Thanks for sharing this story and for being a part of #WATWB

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    • Hi Lynn. So sorry about the late reply. Your comment had been sitting in my spam folder 😦 Yes, he’s a courageous man but look how he managed this feat with the help of strangers. I do wish though he could have taken the names of his helpers to let them know later that he was grateful, but I suppose then the aid would have been for different purposes. Anyhow, I hope we find more of such people. Thanks for reading 🙂

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