By Ruchir Saraf:
Chennai received 14 inches of rain in two days, the heaviest recorded in 100 years. The city got cut off from the rest of the world with a power outage that lasted 3-4 days. No one was sure when the rain would let up or when the power would be restored. In the face of such uncertainty, restaurant owner Santosh decided to help out the way he knew he could. He began cooking. To his surprise, the word was out and in hours up to 300 volunteers joined his efforts in cooking and packing, together distributing 1.7 lakh boxes of food in 94 hours.
As a documentary filmmaker, I was inspired by this ordinary person motivating hundreds to join his cause when Chennai was dearly in need of heroes. I found Santosh through Milaap, a crowdfunding platform for social and personal causes, which raised funds for him through its campaign for Tamil Nadu flood relief.
This video is the inspiring story of Santosh and the volunteers who chose hope and action in the face of the calamity that hit Tamil Nadu. Watch the video to [envoke_twitter_link]remember the resilience with which the people of Chennai overcame the floods[/envoke_twitter_link].
