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In the
beginning, naturally they viewed this new found friend with suspicion and
distrust and were slow in accepting him into their circle.He
conversed freely with them, listened to their pitiable tales, shared, to
some extent, their day to day experiences and accepted whatever food and
drink and sleeping accommodation they had to offer him. He was
sad and shocked to learn that some of these drivers who already
sexagenarians and septuagenarians and had been at this profession right
from their youth were still leading a hand-to-mouth existence, with no
savings to show for the future for all their pains. After living with them for about two months Fr Varghese came away convinced and determined that something needed to be done - and urgently - for the betterment of these unfortunate taxi car drivers.He was inspired to found - SARATHI - A HELPLINE FOR DRIVERS for the taxi car drivers to Kerala to begin with.May the good Lord bless Baby SARATHI with health, growth and development and may it, in its turn help her beneficiaries, the taxi-cab drivers towards a more dignified existence and living worthy of human beings.And may the Lord bless her progenitor Fr Varghese, with health, grace and the happiness of seeing his baby SARATHI achieve what she is meant to do. SO BE IT! |
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Fr Varghese Karippery, a Catholic priest of the Diocese of
Trichur, in Kerala, a state in South India, and brought to birth by his
personal efforts. Learning of
the sad plight of these poor taxi-cab drivers in the city of Cochin, in
Kerala he decided to get, as it were the feel of the situation by quietly
intermingling with the drivers and personally sharing their day-to-day
life and experiences.With this in mind he donned on simple and poor
clothes usually worn by cab drivers in these days, and tried to mingle
with them and befriend them.
