What helped you after experiencing a loss? For one father, his motivation after the death of his son came from exactly what put him in the situation in the first place: potholes. Now, he’s saved countless lives by taking on this problem and becoming a change-maker himself; filling in over 600 potholes by hand! Here’s the amazing story.
In 2017, potholes alone were the cause of at least 10 deaths a day in India, 1 racking up a total of approximately 3,597 lives lost and 25,000 others injured by the end of the year. 2
Dadarao Bilhore lost his son to a pothole-related accident in 2015. The death left Dadarao with a sense that something had to be done. So, spurred on by his son’s memory, he took to the streets and began filling the potholes himself.
His is a story that reminds us of the power of the individual. We don’t need to sit and hope that some “bigger” power will swoop in and solve a problem for us. We have all that we need to make the change ourselves and inspire others as well.
Courtesy of Great Big Story
“I said to myself, how can I sit here when there are cars falling into potholes right outside my shop? I lost my child because of this, I didn’t want anybody else to lose their child in this manner.”
Dadarao Bilhore
One of our favorite creators, Great Big Story, introduces us to Dadarao and his efforts in this beautiful short video. Watch how his dedicated efforts have spurred on a grassroots movement around India — all because he showed the sort of impact that every one of us can have.
Learn more about the pothole problem in India, and why it’s so difficult to solve, in this article from The Better India. (It’s actually quite interesting!) For a more humorous way of how people are tackling this problem… take a look at what this artist did in 2015.
Find more awesome content from Great Big Story over on their website, YouTube channel, or by following them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
“When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways – either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits or by using the challenge to find our inner strength.”
The Dalai Lama
There really isn’t much that can prepare us for our encounters with loss and tragedy. But there are people around the world who can inspire us when we’re questioning how to move forward with it.
Think of all the foundations started after a loved one has passed away; think of the movements, of the people who have now found the power to speak up through injustice, taking action where others have fallen short. Every one of us can make an impact on a better life for our communities.
It just takes one person to get the ball rolling.
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- Sam
“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” —Albert Einstein
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Notes:
- Dhillon, Amrit. “’More Deadly than Terrorism’: Potholes Responsible for Killing 10 People a Day in India.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 24 July 2018, www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/25/more-deadly-than-terrorism-potholes-responsible-for-killing-10-people-a-day-in-india. Accessed 3 June 2019. ↩
- Sherrif, Ahmed. “How Difficult Is It to Keep Our Roads Pothole Free? Here’s the Answer in 3 Steps.” The Better India, 25 July 2018, www.thebetterindia.com/152644/pothole-free-roads-safety-india/. Accessed 3 June 2019. ↩
- Great Big Story. “He’s Filled 600 Potholes in Memory of His Son.” YouTube, 6 May 2019, https://youtu.be/SdbLDCL55Bc. ↩
