With a passion to drive and help others, an 80-year-old Russian woman is sparing no effort to bring joy to the elder people in her city.
Every day, Galina Yakovleva, a former trolley driver, takes her mini-van to distribute food to needy pensioners in the Russian port city of Saint Petersburg.
“I do it because I like to help people and I like to drive,” Yakovleva, a resident of Saint Petersburg, told Al Jazeera.
“With this I can do both at the same time.”
The one-woman operation behind Russia’s ‘Kindness’ charity
Long retired from her job as a Saint Petersburg trolley driver, 80-year-old Galina Yakovleva still spends her days behind the wheel, but for a different purpose: distributing food to needy pensioners.
Posted by Al Jazeera English on Tuesday, 20 November 2018
The elderly woman has created a charity called “Dobrota”, or “Kindness” to deliver aid to Russian pensioners, who are struggling to make ends meet.
The charity is a one-woman operation where Yakovleva works as director, manager and driver.
Yakovleva gets her charity’s supplies of food, clothes and other essential items from independent restaurants, corner shops, bakers and friends.
“Pensioners still have to pay their bills and for their medicines, which can be expensive,” Yakovleva said. “So my help is always useful.”
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