Foot for thought

Engineering student never leaves home without three pairs of chappals in his bag which he donates to the poor

Engineering student never leaves home without three pairs of chappals in his bag which he donates to the poor

While most college kids carry journals, lab coats, a mobile phone or an iPod in their bags, Nandan Pandya never leaves home without at least three pairs of chappals in his haversack.

Shoe santa: Nandan Pandya believes handing out shoes and chappals to the needy is better than doling out cash. PIC/PRADEEP DHIVAR

The 23-year-old engineering student from K J Somaiya College of Engineering and Technology hands them out to slum kids and street dwellers he meets as he goes about his day. Handing out footwear may seem odd, but Nandan says it's far better than doling out cash. "Chappals don't come cheap, and it's a far more thoughtful gesture than giving out coins or buying someone a vada pav. The kids are usually ecstatic when they see the new chappals," says Nandan.

The practice of handing out footwear began over a year ago outside a place of worship that Nandan used to frequent to give out alms. When a beggar asked him for chappals over money, Nandan got thinking. He carries chappals in varying sizes, for children and adults, in his bag ever since.

Nandan has even struck a deal with a neighbourhood shoe-seller, who hands him footwear in bulk at a discounted rate. Nandan's family wasn't aware of his initiative till recently. In fact, his father still doesn't know. Nandan manages to fund the footwear from his pocket money.

Collection drive

After hearing about the initiative, Nandan's friends and co-volunteers of Metta Media, a community of creative individuals who take up projects for non-profit or social causes, have decided to hold a footwear collection drive tomorrow.

"We heard him talk about what he was doing and we wanted to help in some way," says Madhusudan Agarwal, filmmaker and volunteer with Metta Media. The collection drive is planned as a surprise for Nandan, but we aren't sure the secret will remain one after this story is out
in print.

Throw your chappals here
To participate in the footwear collection drive, call Madhusudan Agarwal on 9833167990, or log on to www.mettamedia.org/forum/topics/we-need-your-footwear, or send you footwear to MAM Movies, D-5, Society no. 85, near Janki Devi School, MHADA, Four Bungalows, Andheri (W), Mumbai-53.