Helping the distressed in their hour of need

As he recuperates in Mahaveer Hospital, Mohd. Zia, 25, couldn't believe his good fortune. Only two months ago he had given up all hopes of surviving.

The only bread-earner of the family, his renal failure shattered everyone and ate up whatever little money he had. Now with a successful kidney transplant, he hopes to be out of hospital soon and back to work.

Same is the case with Reshma Begum (35) of Debeerpura. After prolonged treatment of breast cancer, she is on the road to recovery. A youngster, Khaleel, who lost his both arms in an accident, is awaiting advanced electronic prosthesis costing Rs. 5 lakh.

Reliable

Of course, none of them could afford the heavy expenses. Their bills are picked up by the Helping Hand Foundation (HHF). True to its name, the latter is extending a helping hand to people in distress. Be it medical assistance, educational scholarship, housing or business support the HHF can be counted on.

Timely help extended by it has given a new lease of life to scores of persons in the last five years. The poor, particularly, and the destitute who could never think of raising money for expensive surgeries and procedures, have benefited.

A group of IT professionals based in Hyderabad are behind this selfless service. What started as a humble effort in 2007 has today taken a pan India character. HHF is now in a position to help the deserving cases no matter what the expenditure involved.

How does it raise money? The Internet is leveraged to the optimal extent. “It is not just a social responsibility but a religious obligation too,” says Khurram Askari, a trustee.

IT network

The word is spread through IT network. Mailboxes of concerned Hyderabadis are flooded with requests for generous donations. They in turn forward the message to their contacts.

“Today we have built a strong virtual community of donors globally,” says Mujtaba Hasan Askari, the man behind the initiative. Now, HHF is able to mobilise funds at short notice, particularly in road accident cases where every minute counts.

Come Saturday its office in Shanti Nagar is flooded with people seeking aid. New cases are taken up after a thorough investigation. HHF also provides chronically ill patients wholesome grains procured directly from farmers. Eight cases which are under observation are believed to have shown significant improvement.

One cannot show kindness too soon for one never knows how soon it will be too late. That's what HHF believes in.