Shailendra Dubey and his friends leave their beds well before 'Sehri' timings during the holy month of Ramzan, not because they are observing Roza but to prepare food for 'Rozedaar' kin of Muslim patients undergoing treatment at different hospitals in the city.
This idea struck Shailendra after he saw a Muslim woman, whose kin was admitted in the same ward as his father, taking only water during 'sehri' as she could not get any edibles in such early hours of the day.
Shailendra Dubey, a student of Rishiraj Dental College, said: "On May 19, my father suffered cardiac arrest and we rushed him to Hamidia hospital for treatment.
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While I was with him in the night, I saw a Muslim woman doing sehri with water. Since food was unavailable at 3 in the night, she did not get anything to eat. After that I decided to do something for such people.
I called my friends and we decided to start a sehri distribution service during Ramzan. Since we are not yet earning, we decided to save from our pocket money and spare Rs 50 for needy people. We provide an omelette, four stuffed parathas and one glass of milk mixed with raisins to a rozedaar for sehri."
He said, "Six of my friends also help me in my endeavour. My friend Syed Ali and I do the delivery work, while five others cook sehri in their houses.
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We started broadcasting the message on social media along with our contact numbers so that if someone finds a person who is kin of an admitted patient in any of the city's hospital and is unable to buy food for sehri could call us."
Shruti Soni, one of the group members, said: "I delivered sehri to an old lady two days ago.
She gave me her blessings." Mishti Manjhi, another member, said: "Two days ago, I had my college exam due after which I was little tired, still I went to deliver sehri to two women in Hamidia hospital on Friday.
When I delivered food packet to them, they told me that they are forced to do sehri only with water and it was because of me that they were able to do sehri with food. Their blessings made me very happy. I am happy to bring smile on their faces."
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Another group member Shaheed Khan said, "We ask people to call and tell us the number of packets they need and name of hospital that they are in.
I assure them that their sehri will be delivered to them by 3 am. On the first day, we delivered sehri to just one person but till now we have delivered sehri to 35 people at Hamidia , Sultania and Kamla Nehru Park hospitals."
Shailja Dubey, a group member, said: "Initially it was little difficult as I belong to a traditional Hindu family. In the beginning, my family members did not support me but now when they see people doing sehri provided by food by us, they support us. We will continue this during the entire Ramzan period."