A perennial Santa Claus

For 15 years now, Syed Masiuddin is helping the poor in Yakutpura and adjacent areas through involving himself in their lives beyond providing them financial support

Yakutpura: Christmas might be over, but for the poor people and other destitute here, Syed Masiuddin is a perennial Santa Claus. Unlike the distinct red costume of Santa, Masiuddin is however, clad in simple garb: A plain shirt and regular trousers that he teams with a pen in his hand working relentlessly in helping the poor. While Santa distributes gifts among children across the world, for Yakutpura residents, the financial aid provided by the social worker is nothing short of a blessing.

What began 15 years ago through the ‘Mohammed Zaheeruddin Khan Memorial Trust’, Masiuddin is providing little financial aid to the hundreds of families every month. The trust is popular in Yakutpura, adjacent areas, and slums.

Speaking to CityLife, Masiuddin, a cloth merchant by profession and trustee, said that he started the arrangement in the name of his late father and helps the poor in the name of God.

He said that earlier ration used to be given to poor families during the Islamic month, Ramadan, but later the facility for monthly financially aid was started. “People in the colony, and areas like Chandrayangutta, Eidi Bazar and other poor localities get benefit from our Trust. Almost 600 families are getting pensions from us every month,” he said.

Despite his hectic schedule, Masiuddin ensures that he personally scrutinises the details of the poor by visiting their homes and noting their problems. An ID card is issued to the identified beneficiary by the trust after verification of details. Beneficiaries receive monthly pension for medicine, school fees for children besides clothes and other accessories.

Expressing gratitude towards the social worker, a resident, M A Basith said, “What we receive from Masiuddin, is regular and helpful.” He said that there are people who use the misery of poor as an opportunity to carry out business of finance however, this trust has been helping the poor selflessly.

Poverty is more than lack of income or access to resources – it manifests itself in diminished opportunities for education, social discrimination and the inability to participate in decision-making processes. For instance, in developing countries, children in the poorest households are four times less likely to be in school than those of the richest. But extreme deprivation is not about wellbeing and opportunity; it is a question of survival itself.

The significance of contributing towards Sustainable Development Goal #1, ‘Eradicate Poverty’ is evident through Masiuddin’s work: It’s about providing an opportunity to the destitute to lead lives of respect. Masiuddin is not alone in his efforts, though. His endeavour is largely supported by members of his family and friends through logistic means by distributing the pension among the poor. In addition, he does not accept donations from any organisation for his trust.

Mohammed Younus