Humans Of Andhra, Visakhapatnam (2026)

15/09/2022

"During my training in the MBBS House Surgency, we were taught about emergency trauma management. However, it's practically challenging to imagine a situation where one needs to perform surgery on a moving train without the basic surgery tools. Thankfully, I was able to succeed in ensuring safe delivery during such a traumatic situation amid the lack of basic equipment.

I was travelling to Vishakapatnam from my hometown in Vijayawada in a 3-tier AC compartment of Duranto Express to attend my final semester classes of MBBS at Gitam Institute of Medical Sciences. It was early in the morning and we were all asleep before I realised that there was a pregnant woman in the compartment who was indeed suffering from labour pains. The pregnant mother was from Srikakulam and developed labour pain at around 3.30 a.m. when the train was close to Annavaram.

I remember the husband of the pregnant woman
shouting for help and I immediately stepped in for help by introducing myself that I am an MBBS student.

When I first attended to the woman, the baby was in the crowning stage. It was very challenging to bring the baby out. Honestly, I was slightly worried because the placenta had not come out for about 40-45 minutes. But with persistent pushing and performing the labour message procedures, the baby was finally delivered at around 5:35 in the morning.
It was a baby girl and at that moment, I certainly felt 10,000 times happier than I did when I got an MBBS seat.

Everyone was so relieved when the baby came out.
As no equipment was available on the train, I had to use the things like bed sheets and a cover to perform the post-delivery work. I waited for a while to remove the placenta from the woman manually, but as there was no equipment available to cut the placenta, I wrapped the baby in a cover to create a warm environment as it was an air-conditioned compartment.

The mother and baby were shifted to the hospital near Anakapalli station only after one and a half hours as the train had no stops in between. At Anakapalli station, the mother and the newborn were shifted to NTR government hospital in an ambulance which was kept ready. I accompanied them to the hospital and apprised the doctors about the premature delivery of the child who was placed in an incubator. The mother and baby are doing fine now.

Well, I am extremely grateful to my parents, well-wishers and professors who were of constant support throughout my journey so far.

This incident will surely be a lifetime memorable experience for me and I know that I will have to be prepared to handle such situations in the future too!"

16/08/2021

"My husband and I are specialists in the art of leather puppetry craft. It is an ancient form of folk art in India. We travel across different parts of India to showcase our art form. This art is traditionally known by the name Tholu Bommalata and I learnt this art form at my in-law's place.

Our village, Nimmalkunta, is famous for this craft. We perform puppetry shows based on various Indian Mythological epics and also create awareness on various social aspects such as HIV AIDS and its prevention, cleanliness, awareness about various contagious diseases using our folk art form.

The senior artists of our community say that centuries ago leather puppeteers from Maharashtra migrated to Andhra Pradesh and chose to settle in Nimmalkunta. Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj encouraged the artisans to migrate and spread the art and culture throughout India.

My husband, Shri Khande Sreenivasulu, is a national award winner in leather puppetry. He's currently in our village and we are getting ready for the shows this year. We are on a mission to spread this art form across different parts of the world and we are also ready to train the youngsters in the future. The ongoing Covid 19 pandemic has definitely impacted our livelihood due to the limitations in public gatherings, however, we are hopeful for the future and we are thankful to the government and also the handicraft association who were supporting us during these difficult times."

25/03/2021

"Like any other kid, I didn't like anyone telling me what to do. I would hate it when I think that I cannot go out and play normally like my peers because of my disability by birth. All this made me strive for freedom even more. But as I grew up, I realized that it wasn't because of my family or friends that I felt like breaking free. It was actually because of myself and my inner fears. I was just afraid to take chances in life or let myself down. That's when I decided to just accept myself and move forward in life.

After my intermediate, I decided to take up Visual Communication to pursue my passion in the field of Filmmaking and editing. And that's the best decision ever in my life. When I started to explore more about the craft, I felt liberated. I thoroughly enjoyed the course study and even started doing freelance projects when I was in my final year.

After that, I got an opportunity to work with a new Ott start-up called Rainbow Cinemas started by Supergood Films as an editor in Hyderabad and it is a great learning experience for me so far.

Back at home, I was living in my comfort zone. But in Hyderabad, I was doing everything for myself. I grew as a person and even explored different avenues within these six months. My future goal is to pursue a Master's Degree in Gaming and 3D aboard but because of the current pandemic situation, I decided to hold back for a year. In the meantime, I also got an opportunity to work in Railways on a contract basis and I am simultaneously doing both right now.

For me, freedom is doing what I want to do in life. I may not achieve everything that I want but I think it's a good start to finding myself and what I love!"

23/03/2021

"I am a native of Bihar. I used to work in a shoemaking factory in the past. But later I had migrated to Vijayawada with the hope to start a small business on my own. It's been 20 years since I started selling kids' toys for my livelihood.

My day starts at 7 am and ends at 9 pm. I carry these toys on a cycle from Gandhi Nagar to One town every day.

I am going through a difficult time due to coronavirus impact on small businesses. There's no demand for these toys currently. I always feel ashamed of not being educated because of the atmosphere I grew up in. It had made sustaining life in today's progressive world more difficult.

I don't want to make the same mistake for my children. I want them to be ready to face the world and accept the challenges life throws their way. So I am working hard every day to provide quality education for my children.

I have learned that my younger son stood first in his Intermediate examinations recently and I am extremely happy for him. My elder son completed his graduation and is trying for a job in Indian Railways this year. I hope he could succeed in his examinations this time."

20/03/2021

"Would you like to buy some fresh Kothmir (Coriander leaves)? I have two varieties – local and forest grown. I even have fresh Palakura (lettuce), karvepaku (curry leaves), gongura (sorrel leaves), and bacchalakura (Chinese spinach). Most of my customers seem to prefer the locally grown ones.

I have been selling seasonal leafy greens for the past 30 years at the Gollapudi- Barrage road. It is summer season now. I source these leafy greens from the local farmers. As the mercury level is rising, there is a demand for these leafy vegetables as it certainly helps people to beat the heat.

I am originally from the Guntur district and am currently residing with my wife and son here at Vijayawada. I studied till class five and had to drop out due to a lack of funds. After dropping out, I started selling tender coconuts along with my father. I later worked as a daily wager in a factory before starting this business.

I am 43 years old. Because of my nature of work, I have frequent boils on my feet which makes it hard for me to travel longer distances. But I have no other option rather to walk in the streets with my pushcart.

My day starts at 6:30 a.m. and I wind up by 7 p.m. If there are any leftovers, I offer them to cows and buffaloes. Once home, I relax by watching tv and spending time with my children.

My wife works as a helper at a nearby shop so we are able to make our ends meet even during the current pandemic situation. My daughter is currently pursuing her intermediate and my son is studying in class 8.

Being a roadside vendor, I don’t usually get much support and value from my customers. Some bargain ludicrously, something which they wouldn’t do in a supermarket. Also, some tend to shout at me when I don’t give them the vegetables for the price they want. Amidst all these challenges, I also need to make sure the leafy greens are fresh.

When I was growing up I dreamt to become an engineer. Now, each day as I get up and head to work, my sole aim is to see my children become one. That is one job that deserves respect."

18/03/2021

"Two years ago, I was confused about what life had in store for me. I had just passed out of high school by then. I come from a traditional family and even they expected me to pursue Intermediate, and but I wanted something more for myself - I saw my family struggle to make the ends meet so I want to master a technical course and join the work as soon as possible. So I chose to pursue Diploma in Engineering after class 10 and simultaneously help my mother in handling this soda business during the free time.

My father is an auto driver and as of now, he's staying at home due to some health issues. My parents don't want me to work at this age but I strongly believe it's everyone's responsibility in a family to contribute so I am studying and working during my free time.

Now that both my mother and father earn, we can make our ends, and once we recover from pandemic impact, we will be able to be in a better position financially.

My long-term goal is to start a small-scale business in engineering works where I could employ more people who are in need and I am already saving up for it."

16/03/2021

"My name is Vanaja and my friend's name is Abhinaya. We've been best friends since childhood and are studying in class 4 now. We come here every day to play after our classes. My Mumma says I should study well and become a Doctor. But Vanaja says we should join the Police department and destroy all the villains in society.
Yes, we both would like to study well and become big officers in the future. But at the moment, we are still figuring out how we could complete our home assignments which are pending for more than a month!"

13/03/2021

"I love the summer season and ice-creams. That is one of the reasons I took up this trade in the first place. I started by doing the pisciculture business for fifteen years and later worked at a boiler factory in Bhimavaram. But it didn't give me enough satisfaction in life. So I decided to move here to Vijayawada and start a street food business three years ago. Since then this has been my profession. I don’t think I will change the business since it’s a good trade to practice.

I struggle a lot every day but hard work has its rewards. We get daily incentives from the icecream company depending on the sales for the day. By the end of the day, I make enough to put food on my table and take care of my family.

My wife is a housewife and my two children help me out whenever they are free. In another 15 to 20 years I will be done. This trade will end with me in the family. My children want to do something different in their lives and I respect their choices. They have the willpower and talent and I am confident about their future!"

11/03/2021

"I have been repairing and painting cars for the last 35 years. My boss owns this shop. I began helping him right from the time I was in my school. After class three, I dropped out of school and began working here full-time. I repair, replace and paint the car parts- there is nothing I can't do.

We open the workshop every day at 9:30 am and shut it at 7:00 pm. I don't take any holidays. I work on all days. There has never been a time when I did not have work, but the last 11 months were tough.

I am 41 now and this work has helped me bring up my daughters and educate them in good schools. Even during the lockdown, when our shop was completely shut for more than four months, my boss took care of us and I am thankful to him. Only a few customers visit our workshop nowadays, but I will continue to work here as this has been my second home for more than 30 years. Today my family and I live in a small apartment at YSR colony which we purchased recently and that's the most satisfying moment ever in my life."

09/03/2021

"I've always been a merit student in academics, but I also loved arts. My family never really allowed me to take up extracurricular activities during my schooling days. They always said girls are supposed to behave in a certain way and not socialize with others. I considered it strange because I was always subjected to be in someone's control even as a child. Imagine what kind of an impact it would have created on a young girl.

These situations certainly affected my mental health. I always felt restricted inside even though I appear to be normal outside. This continued until my Intermediate but slowly things started to get better when I decided to get out of that void and do something for myself. I convinced my parents to live on my own and started staying in a hostel in Vijayawada. I even joined a Bakery joint as a sales associate to stay independent. That's the best decision in my life. New skills always excited me and I was able to live on my own without any resistance. That's the best feeling ever!

I was clear about my future and I am the first girl from my family to take up Psychology as a course study in my graduation. I even started to participate in group singing events and my aim is to become a professional singer in the future. Now, it's been almost two years since I started working and I feel proud to be able to balance my life between studies and my passion!"

08/03/2021

All day, everyday!

06/03/2021

"I am little disappointed that business is rather slow today; it’s usually at a peak during weekends. Most of my customers are office goers who stop at my wayside stall to munch fresh guavas.

I have been selling guavas for more than 20 years in Vijayawada. It is very nutritious and is one of the few fruits that can be grown around the year.

When I came to this spot in the late 90s, the traffic was very less and most of my customers used to be harried commuters making their way to the streets with wase. Now, I mostly cater to people who stay in the many apartments and Singhi Nagar.

My relatives think that I have an easy job and do not care much about quality. But that's not true. I need to ensure that the fruits are fresh. Transporting fruits is the most difficult task and takes up a lot of time. We also have to deal with traffic cops and VMC officials regularly.

Do I make any profit these days? Well, the big stores and supermarkets selling fresh fruits do impact my business. However, I am thankful to my customers who come back to me for fresh fruits and on a good day, I make enough to keep my family running!"

Humans Of Andhra

15/09/2022

16/08/2021

25/03/2021

23/03/2021

20/03/2021

18/03/2021

16/03/2021

13/03/2021

11/03/2021

09/03/2021

08/03/2021

06/03/2021

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