With a number of coronavirus cases, Pimpri-Chinchwad is in the ‘red zone’ and has over 30 containment zones.
TWO young men from Pimpri-Chinchwad area, along with a group led by them, have reached out to thousands of poor and needy people who have run of food and ration during the lockdown. In the last 50 days, they have provided relief to nearly 27,000 people.
With a number of coronavirus cases, Pimpri-Chinchwad is in the ‘red zone’ and has over 30 containment zones. Many poor residents, especially those living a hand-to-mouth existence, have been finding it difficult to get food and ration. This spurred volunteers of the Amarjyot Seva Sangh to step forward and reach out to those in need.
The Amarjyot Seva Sangh is headed by Abdul Shaikh and his elder brother Kamruddin Shaikh, both in their 30s. They are residents of Subashnagar area in Pimpri.
The Shaikh brothers have, over the last 50 days, provided food and ration to migrant labourers, industrial workers, street-dwellers, slum-dwellers, roadside vendors and even police personnel who are on duty for long hours.
“We are fasting for Ramzan. In this month, Muslims are supposed to do good deeds. And we are doing our best for the poor…,” says Abdul Shaikh, who is an RTI activist.
Their work starts at 4 am and ends late in the evening. “We have to first get vegetables from the market and then make preparations for cooking. There are three to four guys who wake up early and head to the market to get the vegetables. My brother Kamrauddin is an expert cook. He looks after the cooking aspect while I handle the distribution network,” says Abdul.
The Amarjyot Seva Sangh caters to people in Pimpri, Chinchwad, Kalewadi, Thergaon, Ravet and nearby areas. “Our team delivers the food on two-wheelers,” says Abdul.
The Sangh has also provided medicine, sanitisers and masks. “We also provide food to police personnel who work for long hours and have no access to hotels which are shut these days,” says Kamraudin.
Abdul says their funds have come from nearly 300 donors. “People have voluntarily donated for the cause as it involves feeding helpless members of society. We are thankful to each and every resident of Subashnagar area,” he said.