At 6-years-old, Radha Krishnan lost his hand as a result of being run over by a train after falling onto the tracks.
Now, the 34-year-old is living happily as a disabled person (OKU) as he feels more comfortable being on his own and working to earn for himself. Radha, who is the fifth child of seven siblings, is a Foodpanda deliveryman.
“Before this, I did various jobs including working in an office and in the customer service line. However, since last year, I’ve been trying to work as a food delivery personnel. In a day, I can get RM60 depending on the order, usually, a lot of orders are received between 11am to 2pm and 6pm to 10pm. It’s just that now, the number of orders has lessened a bit,” he told Harian Metro.
He normally uses his electric scooter to make deliveries but there are days where he has to walk when his vehicle becomes faulty. Radha also admitted that he receives good treatment from customers and some even tip him.
“I don’t ask, they look at me and keep handing me money. It’s just that, I’m comfortable working. I don’t want to take free money because for me, I have to work first to get an income,” he said.
“The disabled can now get jobs anywhere. So follow along, if you have a problem with your hands, you still have your legs. If you have a problem with your legs, you still have your hands,” Radha shared.
Since his parents had passed away, and his siblings are married and living with their own families, Radha is living independently by renting a room in Petaling Jaya.
“The monthly room rent is RM300 and because of that, I have to work to pay for it apart from buying food and personal items. On top of that, it’s been a long time since I received help from the Social Welfare Department (JKM) and as far as I can remember, the last time was about six months ago,” he added.
We wish we had even just an ounce of his determination.
Also read: Food Delivery Rider Brings Lost, Elderly Aunty On An Adorable Journey To Find Her Way Home