ERODE: The steady rise in Covid-19 cases in the district means that the number of people in home quarantine has also increased in recent days. Several people, down with infection and unavailable to manage expenses without having access to work, have been struggling get good food. To help them tide over the crisis, two college students have come up with the idea of preparing food and giving it to them.
Gowtham Bharathi and Gayathri, studying Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, in Madras Institute of Technology, Anna University, deliver food to around 20 people. Their friends help them out with logistics and there are plans afoot to expand their initiative.
“After colleges were closed due to Covid-19 in March 2020, I have been staying in Erode. I was preparing for the civil services examination using the time. This year, when the second wave of Covid-19 hit, I was talking to my classmate Gayathri and we realised this year was going to be difficult than the last. We wanted to do something to help the people and contacted the government hospital to see if they needed any help. They said they would call us if they needed volunteers.
In the meantime, we wanted to do our bit in this crisis and realised that there are many people in home isolation. That is when the idea of delivering home-cooked food to them came to us,” said Gowtham.
“Currently, there are around 10 people in our team. We have divided ourselves into two teams for cooking and transportation. Most of them are our school mates and friends. We also got some volunteers through posts on Instagram. Based on the requests received daily, we ask each of them to prepare food for two to three people in their homes and deliver it,” said Gayathri.
The volunteers also check if there are others who need food in the locality.We provide idlies for breakfast and dinner and variety rice for lunch. “We are delivering food to Karungalpalayam, Surampatti Valasu, Moolampalayam and Rangampalayam so far,” the duo added. They are also planning to expand this programme to other districts with the help of their classmates. “Our college has students from various districts. At present, they are providing monetary help if needed. Currently, one of our seniors has started to deliver food in Thiruchendur,” said Gowtham.
How to reach
If you know anyone in Erode city who are home quarantined or unemployed due to the pandemic and in need of food, please contact Gowtham Bharathi - 9566808548. You are also welcome to join their team as a volunteer to cook and deliver food to the needy.