An inspiring example

Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile said the great Albert Einstein and true to those words we have a young girl from Tamil Nadu who has become a role model for her great humane service she did during the pandemic crisis.

It is truly heartening to see a 13-year-old girl from Madurai in Tamil Nadu being appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Association for Development and Peace, the UNADAP.

It was in recognition of her role in feeding the poor during the COVID-19 lockdown with her father, a hairdresser by profession.

During the lock down when the Covid crisis reached its peak in Tamil Nadu and the poorest of the poor were running helter skelter for a morsel of food Nethra's father spent their hard earned savings of Rs 5 lakhs to feed the poor and also helping them get essential items.

The girl was moved by the condition of the poor and urged her father to help them in all possible ways and joined her father to go all out in alleviating the distress of the poor. It has to be noted that the money was in fact saved for Nethra's education and to fulfill her dreams to become a civil service officer.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had mentioned the good service done by the family in his Mann Ki Baat recently.

Now, according to the statement of the UNADAP Nethra will be given the opportunity to speak at the UN Civil Society Organisation conferences in New York and in Geneva.

The 13-year-old will get an opportunity and responsibility to speak to world leaders, academics, politicians and civilians, encouraging them to reach out to the poorest of the poor. 'Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others' said the great writer Booker T Washington and making these words cent percent apt Nethra has shown the young and the old that it's not in words but in deeds that one can find happiness and satisfaction in life.

M Pradyu, Kannur