Good Samaritan bags prestigious award

All good works will get rewarded. While it’s in the form of recognition and honor for some, for many others it is just happiness, satisfaction and soul’s content.
For 30-year-old Rajesh Kothwal, who has been untiringly struggling to extend a helping hand to the homeless and the destitute, it came as prestigious award. Rajesh Kothwal was one among the 15 eminent personalities who won the inaugural edition of India Positive Awards in glittering ceremony held at The Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi.
The award has been constituted by CNN-IBN in partnership with Jaypee Group. India Positive Awards delves into India’s hidden resource that cradles the wounded, makes peace among communities and improves lives of others with their selfless acts. These awards bring to light stories that celebrate the basic goodness in every Indian. For nearly two years, Rajesh Kothwal has been saving the lives and providing shelter to several destitute in Bharathi Memorial Foundation in Hyderabad. Rajesh finds satisfaction in helping people lead a life with some dignity and medical care. It may be noted that most of the inmates of his ashram suffer from terminal diseases like HIV, Polio & Tuberculosis.
There are 70 destitute and 14 children in his ashram.
"The doctors, nurses and the ward boys used to the neglect the destitutes and treat the ordinary people. The patients were untidy with human excretion on their clothes and hair grown. They were completely neglected and hence, I thought I will treat them. I requested the nurses and the ward boys and learnt how to inject. It took three to four months to learn. I learnt how to do it but I needed a legal certificate, so I took special training in the male nurse training course from the Indian Red Cross Society for 1 year," Rajesh said in CNN-IBN interview recently.
"I thought why I should start an orphanage or old age home when there are many. Hence, I took up the mission of serving the destitute. Before Independence and after Independence, there was only one organisation for the destitute called 'Nirmal Hruday' started by Mother Theresa. That is the only home which is still running. There is a need for destitute homes here, so I started one," Rajesh told CNN-IBN.