Everything Under The Sun: Out Of Tragedy Comes A Greater Good

Two loving parents with the son they lost.

No parent ever wants this to happen - losing a child. Most of those on this earth expect that their end will come before that of a child, that they won't end up burying a beloved child. That was true for Pradeep and Damyanti Tanna, who live in Mulund, India.

The couple had only one child, Nimesh, who was 22, and a photographer. One fateful day in August 2011, Nimesh took a crowded train to a meeting scheduled in Mumbai. But, although he got on the train, he never got off, and he never made that meeting. At the exact moment that he put his head out of the window, it made contact with a pole too close to the tracks. He was thrown from the train and died instantly. That one moment was devastating for his parents.

According to Kintan Parekh, a close friend of Nimesh, "I was with his parents at the time they got the call....His father was a heart patient so I didn't tell him exactly what had happened.,,,But when we reached the accident site, his father broke down. He couldn't believe what had happened. It was such a tough thing to accept for everyone....He was a well-known boy and everyone loved him."

But that wasn't the couple's only loss. Not long afterwards, Pradeep lost his sweet shop after it was found out that his partners had cheated him from some of the profits. That's when Kintan stepped in and helped his friend's family. Kintan and Pradeep became partners when they opened a new sweet shop in the same town.

Once it became obvious that the business was providing sufficient income, Pradeep and Damyanti made an important decision about how to honor the memory of their departed son. Kintan reports, "Nimesh was always socially inclined. He would help people in need, donate money, do volunteer work - he was very compassionate. His parents thought that starting an NGO under his name would be the perfect way to pay a tribute to their son." So, on January 26, 2013, both parents established and registered the SHRI NIMESH TANNA CHARITABLE TRUST (SNTCT).

Once in operation, the couple started by cooking food in their small kitchen for thirty people. That grew to providing lunches for 100 of Mumbai's underprivileged families. For more than two years, every single day, without a day off, the meals are made. The family now has a bigger kitchen close to their home and seven staff members to help with the meals. At first, Kintan and his uncle would help to deliver the meals, but that got difficult as business matters took up more of their time.

Now, SNTCT has started working with some of the tribal groups in Mumbai, providing them with meal kits, all of the ingredients for meals for an entire month, since these groups are so marginalized by society that they don't have much access to work opportunities. The charity also has a Kids' Bank, with such needed items as clothing, toys, books, bicycles, etc.; and a separate initiative provides needed medications to seniors.

The tiffins loaded with meals are awaiting delivery.

As Kintan says, "There couldn't be a better tribute to Nimesh. He was a person with a golden heart and we are trying to keep him alive through the Trust." What a wonderful way to commemorate the spirit of a decease family member, with a living legacy that maintains a lifeline for many families in need!