Report by Tanya Singh:
Desraj, the Mumbai auto driver who sold his hose to educate his granddaughter, has received Rs 24 lakh in donations. The story of a Mumbai-based auto driver is popular on social media these days. The elderly driver Desraj has caught the attention of people with this picture, even in his struggling life.
Desraj, after the death of his 2 sons, is raising money for the family. He sold his house to teach his granddaughter so that she could grow up to become a teacher. The Humans of Bombay page brings out the story of Desraj in detail. He drives an autorickshaw every day to feed his wife, daughter-in-law, and his four grandchildren. According to media reports, rickshaw is the only home for him to live, sleep and eat. majority of his earnings went into paying the school fee and stationery of his grandchildren. All her efforts were worth it when his granddaughter scored 80 per cent in Class 12 exams.
When she shared her dream of studying BEd from Delhi, Desraj knew “educating her in another city was way beyond my capacity, but I had to fulfill her dreams… at any cost.” Facebook user Gunjan Ratti started a fundraiser to support the auto driver. The fundraiser exceeded its goal of Rs 20 lakh. Humans of Bombay posted a video showing Desraj receiving a cheque worth Rs 24 lakh.