Agra Man Cools Down Workers and Birds This Summer

While most of us retreat indoors when the mercury climbs, construction workers in Agra face 40-degree heat with nowhere to hide. Suyash Jain saw them struggling and decided to do something about it.

The marketing professional launched Summer Relief Seva this year, a simple effort to help both people and birds survive the scorching season. Every day, he distributes chilled sharbat (a sweet summer drink) to outdoor workers toiling under the sun. He also places water bowls and millet across the city so birds have access to food and hydration during extreme heat.

But helping others isn't new for Suyash. His parents taught him early that compassion is a daily practice, not an occasional gesture.

His father would wake before dawn to scatter grain for birds on the rooftop and feed about 50 cows each day. During summers, he'd hand out biscuits to security guards and workers starting their shifts in the early morning heat. His mother worked behind the scenes, making sure these small acts of kindness never stopped.

That same spirit drove Suyash during the pandemic. When the first COVID wave hit, he and Rajat Agarwal created the COVID-19 Free Jobs Forum to connect unemployed workers with hiring companies. Within a month, over 8,000 job seekers registered, and the network eventually helped more than 1,200 people find work.

During the second wave, Suyash realized many families needed something even more basic than employment. They needed food.

He launched Feeding Ones In Need on May 15, 2021, starting with his own money to buy ration kits filled with wheat flour, rice, lentils, sugar, salt, spices, tea and oil. Each kit could feed a family of four for nearly two weeks. As word spread, he raised funds to expand the effort, eventually distributing over 400 kits to families across Agra, including workers at construction sites.

The Ripple Effect

Suyash's summer relief work proves that noticing small struggles can lead to meaningful change. A cup of cold sharbat takes minutes to hand out but offers hours of relief to someone working in brutal heat. A bowl of water placed thoughtfully can save a bird's life on a particularly harsh day.

His efforts also remind others in Agra that they can help too. Setting up a water station costs almost nothing, and the impact multiplies when more people join in.

What started as one man pausing to notice who was suffering has become a quiet movement of care across the city. Summer will always be harsh in Agra, but it doesn't have to be faced alone.