AndariIllu, located at Kothapet in Hyderabad, is an initiative of the couple Dr Surya Prakash Vinjamuri and Dr Samavedam V Kameswari who have been working to address the issues of hunger, knowledge sharing and women’s health. One can walk in at anytime, cook food, read books and take some rest at AndariIllu.
For 16 years, this open house has seen hundreds of people satiating their hunger or using it to fulfil their dreams of qualifying in competitive exams. Many of them secured jobs and have now joined hands with Prakash to pay back to society.
Active in social service for 38 years, Prakash proudly says “I don’t own anything. I don’t even have bank account. The moment you start owning something your life becomes miserable. I never sought any donations because I believe that social service should be voluntary and should be done with pleasure not pressure.”
Open House was started only with food; books were added with the idea of sharing both food and knowledge. The doctor couple also treated approximately 800 cases of Covid-19. When it comes to DrKameshwari’s services, she explains “I believe that when people die, we cannot do much, but when you are alive you have the opportunity to contribute to this beautiful country. More than 15,000 cases of infertility were resolved and now those women are living a fruitful life.”
The theme for this year’s World Habitat Day isAccelerating urban action for a carbon-free world. Cities are responsible for some 70 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions with transport, buildings, energy, and waste management accounting for the bulk of urban greenhouse gas emissions. The future of our planet depends on national, regional and local governments and organizations, communities, academic institutions, the private sector and all relevant stakeholders working together to create sustainable, carbon-neutral, inclusive cities and towns. World Habitat Day will amplify the global Race to Zero Campaign and UN-Habitat’s ClimateAction4Cities and encourage local governments to develop actionable zero-carbon plans in the run up to the international climate change summit COP26 in November.