Maraveni also provided security to doctors who visited schools, carrying medicines for student.

HYDERABAD: Shekar Maraveni still remembers that day vividly — December 12, 2017. On receiving information about the movement of Maoists in Bijapur (Chhattisgarh), the CRPF sub-inspector and his team went after them. In the crossfire, he suffered an injury when a bullet brushed against his neck. His team mate was shot in the leg.But that’s not what the 32-year-old holds on to. It is what happened thereafter that’s etched in his memory . “It was the local tribal folk who came to our aid. They were the first ones to arrive and, on seeing our condition, offer their help. I was immensely moved by what they did for us,” Maraveni told TOI from Jammu, where the Hyderabad man is currently posted.That incident shifted something inside him. Since then, the CRPF man has been doing whatever he can to give back to society, particularly the poor. At present Maraveni provides 150 ml of milk (per child) every day to children in government schools and anganwadis across Telangana. He wants to scale it up soon and reach out to as many schools as possible. The young man already has 200 volunteers helping him with his mission.“I cannot forget those poor tribal people who came to our rescue in our most difficult time. And since I was helped by the poor, I thought I should do something to help them in my own state of Telangana,” Maraveni said. In what he calls the ‘Nitya Palamrutham’ programme, his NGO ‘White Volunteers Foundation’ provides milk to students in five schools in the state — two anganwadis at Pillaipalli village in Ghatkesar near Hyderabad, and three schools in Sircilla district.His friends and other good Samaritans provide the funds. “They also travel from Hyderabad to the schools occasionally to take tuitions or help children with their studies,” he said, also acknowledging the help extended by his wife Latha Maraveni.Previously, while serving in Chhattisgarh, Maraveni also provided security to doctors who visited schools, carrying medicines for students. “It was there that I saw children come to school without having anything for breakfast. I was overwhelmed. I started spending a few thousand rupees from my salary to provide milk to the students every morning when they came to school,” he said, adding: “In fact, even doctors advised me that milk was the best source of protein for children.”When not engaged in his day job or social work, Shekar Maraveni enjoys writing. He is already a published author with a book titled, ‘i-Gondi’ — about a local tribal language in Chhattisgarh — to his credit. His next book. ‘A story of women combats’, will be out soon.