KOLKATA: Good Samaritans who have been providing support to the needy during the lockdown for the last 50 days have started facing funds and resource shortage. They are looking forward to fellow citizens for help and cooperation.
JU Commune, a community kitchen being run by Jadavpur University students to feed the poor, pavement-dwellers and migrant workers since March, has started to feel the pressure. JU research scholar Indol Majumdar said, “Sustaining an effort like this is a huge task. We are constantly appealing for funds through social media so that we can carry on this initiative for long. Challenges have been overcome because of everyone’s help and involvement.”
Satnam Singh Ahluwalia and his team of volunteers at Gurdwara Behala have been serving 6,000 needy people for the last 45 days. He started this initiative with whatever funds he had and later help poured in from friends and well-wishers. Apart from cooked meals, his volunteers are also distributing milk, biscuits, fruits, babyfood and medicines. Till date, the drive has catered to 5 lakh meals. “We Sikhs believe in Sarbat Da Bhalla (Welfare for All) and it is our moral duty to ensure that we look after those who are in need and provide help whenever necessary,” said Ahluwalia, chairman of IHA Foundation and general secretary of Gurdwara Behala, adding, “Everyday is a new challenge but our spirits are high and we will continue this drive with support from fellow citizens.”
A student-and-youth-led initiative — Quarantined Student-Youth Network (QSYN) — has so far catered to over 1,500 individuals with rations and cooked meals across Bengal. From ‘People’s Kitchen’, they are serving 450 people daily, including pavement dwellers and daily wagers . ISI student Manmatha Roy said, “After a couple of days, it will be impossible to carry forward our initiative as there is a huge fund crisis. People have limited resource so crowd-funding may not give a positive response as many people have already contributed more than once. The districts will be badly affected, so we are trying our best to raise funds to sustain it.”
Urging people to contribute, Umar Awais, who, along with other individuals, are serving cooked meals and rations to the needy in and around Rajabazar and Sealdah, also felt generating funds during lockdown had been a major challenge. Noor Mahvish of The Metiabruz Youth, which has served 2,000 families till date, added, “Situation of fund is in a bad state. We are in the last leg and are not being able to provide rations to innumerable people who are calling us everyday.” She urged for funds to help the needy families.
A group of citizens in Kidderpore and Garden Reach are serving 3,000 people daily from the first phase of lockdown. They have set up a community kitchen and are distributing cooked meals not only among poor and migrant workers in the Port area but also catering to red-light areas in the neighbourhood. Md. Imtiaz Khan said, “My friend R P Singh has taken up the task of feeding all the needy people and in such crisis, it is a humanitarian gesture, we are appealing individuals to come forward and help.”
JU Commune, a community kitchen being run by Jadavpur University students to feed the poor, pavement-dwellers and migrant workers since March, has started to feel the pressure. JU research scholar Indol Majumdar said, “Sustaining an effort like this is a huge task. We are constantly appealing for funds through social media so that we can carry on this initiative for long. Challenges have been overcome because of everyone’s help and involvement.”
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The city has poured its heart out over the past few weeks to help those in distress. That has included government agencies like our police force as well. But this immense volunteer network may now be collapsing under pressure and it is time for others to pick up the baton. Kolkata, we know, will not disappoint.
Satnam Singh Ahluwalia and his team of volunteers at Gurdwara Behala have been serving 6,000 needy people for the last 45 days. He started this initiative with whatever funds he had and later help poured in from friends and well-wishers. Apart from cooked meals, his volunteers are also distributing milk, biscuits, fruits, babyfood and medicines. Till date, the drive has catered to 5 lakh meals. “We Sikhs believe in Sarbat Da Bhalla (Welfare for All) and it is our moral duty to ensure that we look after those who are in need and provide help whenever necessary,” said Ahluwalia, chairman of IHA Foundation and general secretary of Gurdwara Behala, adding, “Everyday is a new challenge but our spirits are high and we will continue this drive with support from fellow citizens.”
A student-and-youth-led initiative — Quarantined Student-Youth Network (QSYN) — has so far catered to over 1,500 individuals with rations and cooked meals across Bengal. From ‘People’s Kitchen’, they are serving 450 people daily, including pavement dwellers and daily wagers . ISI student Manmatha Roy said, “After a couple of days, it will be impossible to carry forward our initiative as there is a huge fund crisis. People have limited resource so crowd-funding may not give a positive response as many people have already contributed more than once. The districts will be badly affected, so we are trying our best to raise funds to sustain it.”
Urging people to contribute, Umar Awais, who, along with other individuals, are serving cooked meals and rations to the needy in and around Rajabazar and Sealdah, also felt generating funds during lockdown had been a major challenge. Noor Mahvish of The Metiabruz Youth, which has served 2,000 families till date, added, “Situation of fund is in a bad state. We are in the last leg and are not being able to provide rations to innumerable people who are calling us everyday.” She urged for funds to help the needy families.
A group of citizens in Kidderpore and Garden Reach are serving 3,000 people daily from the first phase of lockdown. They have set up a community kitchen and are distributing cooked meals not only among poor and migrant workers in the Port area but also catering to red-light areas in the neighbourhood. Md. Imtiaz Khan said, “My friend R P Singh has taken up the task of feeding all the needy people and in such crisis, it is a humanitarian gesture, we are appealing individuals to come forward and help.”
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