A cab driver turned ministering angel

Stories of good are all around us -- pockets of positivity that act as inspiration for society. Here’s a heart-warming story about a cab driver who transformed his life into a force for good.

Once a cab driver on the streets of Pune, Dadasaheb Gaikwad’s life took a turn when he decided to dedicate his life to helping those abandoned on Pune’s streets. “They don’t have clothes, they eat food that’s thrown away, they have injuries that are untreated, there are flies swarming around them. They have no one, but they have Dadasaheb,” says this man who has made it his life mission to helping the homeless.

Dadasaheb was not born rich, but is rich in his love for humanity. As a cab driver, he would take time out to share his lunch dabba with homeless people. Then he started taking care of the homeless full time. He quit his job, even opened up his home and his wife sold her jewellery to support his mission. The family faced their own struggle in the effort to help others.

Dadasaheb reached out to donors for support. With their help, he started renting a space and set up an NGO called ASK as a shelter. He now drives an ambulance and makes the rounds of Pune’s streets – ensuring a helping hand and an offer of food, clothes and medicines to those in need. Going many steps further, he spends hours in police stations trying to reunite people with their families.

“When these people get better, they give me love and blessings. That’s all I need to feel I am in heaven,” he smiles.    
Dadasaheb looks out for those helpless and vulnerable on the streets, the ones who don’t have anyone to look after them or have been abandoned by their families. These are the ones that this Pune social worker reaches out to. “If you see someone on the streets in Pune, call me. If nothing else, at least give them something to eat, he says.

His message to those who are better off in life is simple: “Keep the humaneness alive.” That’s the true power of change.

Aditya Birla Group is happy to partner The Better India to amplify social impact stories of people  who are India’s unsung heroes, those who act as #AForceForGood.