People may leave their hometowns and settle down in faraway lands, but their hearts remain back home. This was aptly demonstrated by 62- year-old Rabi Shankar Pradhan, who originally hails from Kurseong town in Darjeeling, but is now well settled in England.

A zeal to do something for his hometown deep within him, Mr Pradhan raised funds in London and sent them back to Kurseong, where his friends bought some much-needed medical equipment and donated it to two healthcare facilities in the hilltown.

“I felt the need of doing something for my hometown during the Covid pandemic and took this initiative to collect funds by organising a walk. My sympathisers donated generously and helped me in my cause. With the funds collected, my team back in Kurseong bought some medical equipment and other stuff for two medical facilities there,” Mr Pradhan said from London. To raise the funds, he took part in a 21-km half walk marathon–‘London Summer Walk Challenge 2021’ on 5 June this year.

According to him, the equipment was handed over a few days ago in Kurseong. The Summer Walk Challenge, which is organised by Action Challenge is a programme in which many people take part to raise funds for their charity and request people to donate to their cause online, through ‘Just Giving.’

The walkathon started and ended at the Oval cricket ground in London. “Donations were made by people from Nepal, the UK, and also the Darjeeling UK Samaj, to whom I am ever thankful,” said Mr Pradhan, who added that he had managed to raise around 1700 pounds (around Rs 2 lakh).

Among the items donated include an oxygen concentrator, oxygen cylinder and other medical equipment given to the Kurseong Sub Divisional Hospital, and an oxygen concentrator, inverter and a weighing machine donated to the SB Dey Sanatorium. With some more money left over, Mr Pradhan’s team plan to donate stuff to an old age home there.

“We are thankful for the efforts made by Mr Pradhan and encourage more people to contribute so that it helps the patients in need,” SB Dey Sanatorium superintendent, Dr Subarna Goswami, said.