CHENNAI: In a world with existing inequalities and vulnerabilities, the pandemic has only deepened susceptibilities. According to a report in 2020, around 690 million people were estimated to be food insecure, out of which, 135 million suffered crisis-level hunger or worse. In India, an estimated 189 million people have been rendered undernourished even before the pandemic, making it one of the largest populations to be facing food shortages.
The virus and the lockdowns have only compounded the fractured food system in the ecosystem, forcing many to go about their daily life, hungry. Amid this swirling issue of growing hunger hotspots and related deaths, Pawan Jhabakh, CP Surana and Sandeep Bhansal have been attempting to break the cycle of starvation, providing essentials like food and water to people who need it the most.
“From the onset of the pandemic in Chennai to the shape it has taken now, what I observed was how people living beyond the boundaries of the city were coming forward, in an attempt to help its residents. This became one of the pushing factors for us to do our bit for the society; as people living in the city, we felt it was our duty to step in,” says Pawan, a city-based corporate lawyer.
Every day, for the last one week, the trio have been distributing about 450-500 boxes of cooked rice along with water bottles to people affected by the pandemic in various capacities. “The idea was to provide food to anyone who was in need. For instance, there were many people from other districts who camped at Kilpauk Medical College for hours and days to just procure medicines for their kith and kin affected by the virus. Despite having the means to buy food, they couldn’t, because of the lockdown and fear of losing their position in the long queues that snaked outside the gates of the venue. So, people were starving irrespective of where they were from,” he details.
The self-funded initiative was recently registered as a charitable trust Help and Raise. “We have served hospital workers, patients, travellers, local police, auto men, orphanages and old age homes. We are serving 500 people a day now and have completed 5,000 meals,” he adds. The meal boxes are procured from a restaurant in the city and the menu is fixed for the week. The rice could vary from curd rice, mixed rice to fried rice.
“The Greater Chennai Corporation’s police officers have also helped us identify corporation workers, auto-rickshaw drivers and other labourers who will benefit from this. We work on the field too. While this puts us at risk of contracting the virus, we take adequate precaution before, during and after distribution,” he shares.
During one of the distribution drives, Pawan recalls coming across a person from an underprivileged background, who had fashioned a mask using plastic and paper waste. “Someone didn’t have the means to buy a mask. Such is the state. However, we are doing our bit by ensuring that at least one meal of their day is taken care of. We intend to reach 10,000 meals at the earliest and are ramping up the daily meal count,” he says.
For details, visit Instagram page @help_and_rise