A selfless act on hartal day - SSW student joins activists to rescue the homeless in India

Molly Vetter with the persons rescued from the streets by Theruvoram, a NGO, in the city on Monday.

FROM THEHINDU.COM

A 27-year-old U.S. national had the opportunity to join a team that rescued four destitute persons from the streets of Kochi on hartal day.

Molly Vetter, a student of the School of Social Work at University of Maryland in the U.S. who is pursuing her third semester at Rajagiri College of Social Sciences at Kalamassery as part of an exchange programme, was part of social worker Murugan’s NGO Theruvoram that rescued the poor and the homeless from Ernakulam South, North railway station premises and from Palarivattom on Monday.

“I am doing an internship with Theruvoram as part of my MSW programme, focussing on the lives of those living on the streets of Kerala and comparing it with the people on the streets in the U.S.,” she said. Mr. Murugan said Ms. Vetter had been part of the efforts to rescue nearly 25 homeless people from the streets of Kollam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam since October 2, when she joined the NGO..

Ms. Vetter said that those living on the streets in the U.S. had better access to food, thanks to the strong network of government and non-profit agencies involved in providing and sharing food among the needy. “I could not find that kind of response on the streets here,” she said.

She will leave for the U.S. after completing her third semester at Rajagiri College of Social Sciences in November. Her internship with Theruvoram will continue till October end.