CHENNAI: Wiping away the beads of sweat from his forehead, he ties a mask around his face, sanitises his hand and readies himself to lug a sack of groceries to his car. “We are going to Kannagi Nagar to distribute food,” he announces. In this pandemic-induced lockdown, it is days like these that bring action-oriented hope for Varun Prasad Gokhale, a 19-year-old resident of Anna Nagar. Within ten days of the launch of his website Shubhashish, Varun and his friend Shlok Jagushte have fed more than 1,800 hungry stomachs in Chennai and Mumbai.
“I do it just for the blessings,” says the second-year Electrical Engineering student at Vivekananda Education Societies Institute of Technology, Mumbai. “I have been away from home for two years and used to come here only for festivals. During one such occasion, I realised that there are many unfortunate ones who cannot afford to celebrate. So, I started packing sweets and savouries, and distributed it to the poor people near my house in Anna Nagar. The blessings I got in return made me want to do more.”
Even as he was grappling with the lockdown situation, what stirred up his emotions was the news of the plight of the migrant and daily wage labourers. Realising that his life is abundant with opportunities to help, Varun swung into action. “It always made me happy to feed someone. So, I first started off by distributing grocery packets, which bought from my own money, to 11 people in Anna Nagar. But when I learned that there is a possibility of them selling off these vegetables to make money, I had to think of another way,” he shares.
After brainstorming with his Mumbai-based friend Shlok, the duo planned to start a site where people could send their donations.
Shubhashish was launched on April 27.
“We got in touch with the local police and collected the details of the contact numbers of people who are in need of food every day. We were aware that there were many NGOs and other groups donating food and we didn’t want our effort to go waste,” he shares.
During one of these rounds of interaction, Varun learned from the K4 police station in Anna Nagar that even though the policemen get about 700 to 1,000 packets of food from NGOs and charitable trusts to be distributed every day, there is still a shortage. Soon, Varun contacted Leo Akashraj, his senior from school. Akashraj, who also runs Pretty Little Hearts, an NGO, connected Varun with the local caterers. “We initially wanted to tie up with small eateries because even they are incurring losses at this time. But due to the lockdown, we could not venture out. So I got contacts of small-time home caterers who can help us with packed food (any variety rice). Now, we have tied up with Namma Unavagam in Vadapalani,” he explains, adding that Shlok facilitates food distribution in Mumbai.
While the website is primarily used as a medium to receive donations, residents of both cities can place an alert on the duo’s Facebook page, sharing information about neighbourhoods where people need food. Soon after they set up their initiative, the first request came from Varun’s former NCC teacher, who asked for 27 packets of food to be distributed to those living in TNHB quarters in Kovilambakkam. And then came the second request for provisions for a transgender community. “Last week, I got a call from Rakshika, a trans nurse, who said that there are 55 trans persons who require assistance. So we procured provisions and made packets containing 2 kg rice, ½ kg dal, ½ litre oil and 100 g-200g of salt. We distributed them recently in Kannagi Nagar, Kovilambakkam and Pallikarnai,” he says.
Conscious about wastage of food made during bulk orders, the two friends attempt to minimise it by distributing the excess to sanitation workers and police officials on duty. “Whenever we have extra packets of food, and if we spot a sanitation worker or a policeman toiling away in the hot sun, we give it to them,” says Varun.
While the work has just begun and there are miles to go, and many mouths to feed, Varun recognises that his efforts saw traction owing to the help he received from the local police in locating neighbourhoods where people need food. Gratitude is the only emotion that Varun and Shlok are now breathing. With an intent that is steadfast, they have resolved to feed the poor until the lockdown is lifted. May their tribe grow!
For details visit: https://sites.google.com/view/shubhashish/home, or call: 7397266273, 9930835460, or mail: shubhashish.covid.19@gmail.com Instagram: shubhashish_covid19 Facebook: Shubhashish Covid