KhabarLive presents you with the unique side of modern Hyderabad’s story in the words of ‘Humans of Hyderabad’. A truly dedicated frontline mirror of Hyderabad-based people’s inner stories that no one catches yet. This is an attempt to project the living and ground reality of the common talented people, who called ‘Hyderabadi Heera’.
“I have a distinct memory of my grandmother taking me to the kitchen and teaching me how to make Jonna (jowar) rotis. I was 6-years-old. For the Banjara community, these rotis are staple and women are taught to perfect the art of making these round rotis right from their childhood. It’s the perfect food for a healthy lifestyle.
Now that diabetes and high blood pressure have become common health issues, people are increasingly opting for Jonna rotis. My husband and I decided to make the best of this. We’re good at making these rotis – so what’s a better business than sell them? We sell about 200 pieces a day and that gets us sufficient money to make a living.
This is an ancestral tradition but every generation adapts to newer changes. Unlike our parents and grandparents, my husband and I don’t indulge in farming. We are into this business – however small it is. We make it on wood fire – even more authentic and healthy. I learned that from my mother, who would mostly spend her time in the kitchen.
But I want to go out and use my skills to earn money for my family. My husband and I are a team – equally important halves. We work hard to feed our children. Selling jonna rotis is not just a business but it’s also promoting our culture and age-old healthy eating habits. We have moved a step forward but we’ve not forgotten our roots.”
Ever wondered what the true essence of a city is? What makes any city what it is? For some it’s the city’s culture, for some it’s the food, but if you ask the team behind Humans of Hyderabad (HOH), they say it’s the people themselves.
HOH, a non-profit group, brings to readers through its website and social media platforms the ‘extraordinary stories of ordinary people’ – the people that we see every day – a tea-seller, a girl going to school, a homemaker, an accident survivor, an LGBTQ person, and several others who are part of our city. The underlying concept behind HOH is that everybody has a story and the same should be heard.
“It’s not about writing sad stories, there’s nothing to feel sorry for them. It’s more about how to learn something from them and grow. That’s what we try to do,” says Rachana Choudary, founder of HOH, speaking to #KhabarLive.
A native of Hyderabad, Rachana initially worked in various states across the country as a psephologist (one who analyses elections), for which she spoke to several people during focus group discussions. That is when it occurred to her that she could focus on the stories that people have to tell. And it’s been four years of telling stories through HOH.
Humans of Hyderabad has a presence in other cities as well – Humans of Andhra and Humans of Madras, showcasing the lives of people there.
With a small team of three to four people in each city, HOH attempts to discover people and stories that are rarely part of the mainstream. A look at the HOH website shows several real-life heart-warming stories written from the individual’s perspective.
Rachana says there is no monetization of HOH’s work anywhere, with the team spending from their own pocket. The group has also released a book with some of its best stories recently.
Purnima Iyer, a journalist with eight years’ experience who now heads the HOH team, says, “It’s more like lifting spirits, letting people know that they’re not alone. That’s the whole purpose behind what we do. At times we choose areas and go around and do stories. We stop, talk to people, explain to them what we do and how it helps.”
The HOH team comprises Srinath, Shreya, and Janani. A special mention needs to be made about their photographs, which are right now being clicked by Mahesh. The colleagues say it’s the teamwork that drives them to find the stories that matter. #KhabarLive#hydnews
