Feel the heat, feel the pain

Summers are a grueling time for most of us in India, as the sun scorches the land and sends the mercury soaring to as much as 45 degree Celsius and more at some places. The heat is so strong during summer months that even the idea of simple tasks like going out to fetch groceries feels extremely difficult to execute. While many of us can afford the protection of air conditioners and water coolers, at our homes and offices, there are thousands of people out there on the streets, including small children and women, whofight the heat every day to earn a living and make life easier for us.

Often, we are so busy with our lives that we seldom take notice of the hardships that many people face in the summer heat. Think about farmers, vegetable sellers, the construction worker, the roadside chai tapri wala, and many such people who spend several hours in the sun, working laboriously, yet they never complain or crib. On the other hand, all hell breaks loose for the lucky ones like us, when the power goes off for an hour or the air conditioner stops working. We are so used to living in comfort and have become so accustomed about thinking solely about ourselves that we rarely acknowledge the adversities of the people working in thesearing summer sun. Working under the hot summer sun is a mighty dangerous job since there are a wide variety of health risks such as heat stroke, UV radiation, dehydration, etc., which can be fatal if left untreated. News of people dying due to high summer heat is quite common in our country.

With the heat and pain in mind, #fame has come up with an interesting new initiative involving #famestars, which lets people understand what it feels to spend the entire day working arduously in the sun. In #FeelTheHeat with #famestars – #GivingWeek initiative, famestars switch jobs with people on the streets to gethands-on experience on how it feels to work in the blazing sun. For example, in Mumbai, famestars had taken up a wide variety of jobs such as that of a vegetable seller, paav bhaji wala, construction worker, flower vendor, banana seller, gardener, etc. While it was a fun experience for famestars since it came across as an interesting challenge, the summer heat eventually took its toll, which famestars agreed was quite unbearable and unforgiving for them.

The extreme summer heat made famestars realize that they are very lucky to have the comforts in life. It enabled them to experience the pain of people who work non-stop in the summer heat and that they should be grateful and thankful to them for their efforts. Such initiatives help us realize that life is not always about chasing comforts, but rather to work together towards a common goal, irrespective of what our circumstances might be. Now, you too can organize or participate in similar initiatives in your city or locality. It will go a long way in strengthening human bonds and creating a better world with kindness and compassion – the primary mission of #FeelTheHeat with #famestars – #GivingWeek.