Prem, Mid-day meal server

Outside the Sarvodya Kanya Vidyalaya at Nehru Vihar, a makeshift arrangement has been made where women, in shifts, have been distributing food to the homeless, migrant workers and anyone who arrives there.

Food distribution started since the lockdown, said Prem, one of the four women on duty. “We are all associated with the school. We used to serve mid-day meals to children. Since the school is now closed, following the lockdown, we were asked to volunteer and distribute food among the needy,” the 53-year-old, who has been with the school for more than a decade, says.

Food is distributed twice a day, she informs. “Lots of people turn up throughout the day including people who live in nearby clusters and are unable to manage food. On a daily basis, we spend around 4-5 hours distributing food. Because I live in Wazirabad and come walking, I have opted for the morning shift. There are four others, who live in the vicinity. They usually come for the evening shift,” she says.

Prem describes her new duty as ‘sewa’. “When the school authorities told me to be a part of the food distribution, I readily agreed. In times of crisis like this one, how can we not be a part of the sewa? When everyone is participating in their own bit, this is our way of contributing,” saidPrem.