CHENNAI: Manisha K (29), an MSc nursing student from Erode, won the Good Samaritan award for her NGO, Jeevitham Foundation, which has rescued more than 500 homeless people.

“After becoming a nurse, I started this foundation in 2018 to serve the people,” said Manisha. Currently 35 volunteers also work along with her.

“We meet homeless people and collect information about their past. If we suspect them to be mentally ill, we approach them again by offering food and clothes. Later, we take permission from the police for rescuing them. In certain cases, we reunite them with their families and send a few others to old age homes or orphanages. During a camp we held in government schools, we gave vocational training. Now, there are 75 homeless people with jobs.”