Project: Food For Hunger
While covid-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of everyone in Mumbai, among the worst affected are the migrant people from other parts of Maharashtra and other states. They comprise of daily wage labourers, construction workers, small time hawkers etc. who depend on a daily income. These people live in highly densely populated slum communities. Their dwelling units are in slums, that are often rented tiny and dingy shanties/rooms that they share with their large families or large number of co- workers/labourers defying the very concept of social distancing which is vital to check the spread of the Covid-19 disease.
As the prospects of any job are bleak, they find no means of income to feed their families and pay for their rented accommodation. A large number of then haven’t been able to return to their hometowns and villages in absence of public transport and that their apart from the fact that they are not acceptable in their hometowns as they could be carriers.
Mumbai Cheshire Home has been working in the slum communities around and beyond since last over 15 years. Since we are dealing with them, the Home has the advantage of having established close contacts with the families of persons with disabilities who need support.
A vast majority of our beneficiaries; children, youth and adults with disabilities under various Programmes; Education, Health and Employability Skills Training at Mumbai Cheshire Home come from poor economic background living in slum communities. Hence, their families too are facing the challenges severe economic hardships as in the case of others vulnerable section of the population mentioned above.
As a first step towards mitigating their economic hardships that have a direct impact on the daily needs for sustenance food of the children with disabilities under various programmes, Cheshire Home initiated “Project: Food for Hunger” under which the families of children with disabilities are provided with a grocery kit that would last for 2-3 weeks depending on family size. The kit comprises of pulses, food grains, spices, cooking oil and ingredients required to make a basic meal.
Perceiving the dire need of food among the affected people, the support has been extended to cover youth with disabilities and their families under our programmes and non-disabled persons living in slum communities in the periphery of Cheshire Home i.e. Andheri(East), slum communities of Malad (East), Ghatkopar (West), Jogeshwari etc.
Over 2200 Grocery kits have been distributed, by Cheshire Home under the initiative “Project Food For Hunger”. We are continuing to carry out this activity.
Cheshire Home procured rice under a special scheme from Food Corporation of India (under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India). The other grocery items were procured from other vendors.
Additionally, Cheshire Home also distributed soaps along with the kits to all the beneficiaries to safeguard themselves from possible infection.
Mumbai Cheshire Home is grateful for having received an overwhelming response from our individual and corporate donors, well-wishers, social welfare organisations and our trustees, all of who promptly responded and continue to come forth with their monitory donations as well as providing us the necessary material to carry out these activities.
Glimpses of Grocery Kit Distribution Under The Project: Food For Hunger
(L) Cheshire Home Residents (M)Grocery Kits Being Distributed at Dr. B.S. Mehta, Hon. Secretary, Participate in Preparing Cheshire Home Cheshire Homes India Grocery Packets Distributing Grocery Kits
A Youth with Disability Being Provided A Child With Disability With Her A Mother of a Child with Father and a Family Member Being With a Grocery Kit Disability Provided With Provided With a Grocery Kit a Grocery Kit
(L) Mother of a Child with Disability (M) Resident of a Slum Community (R) A Youth with Disability
Mumbai Cheshire Home’s “Food For Hunger” Project: Few of Our Beneficiaries
(Left) I am Bijana, mother of 9 Year Old Amina Bi, a Child with Disability. My husband, a Tempo Driver has been out of work, as there is no business.
(Right), I am Priyanka, mother of 11 Year Old Preeti, a Child with Intellectual Impairment. I used to work as a house help, but have been out of work. My husband Prakash, a housekeeping helper has been out of work as most offices and workplaces had to be closed due to lockdown down.
Each One Of them Have Three Things in Common
They are a Parent of a Special Needs Child
They/Their Earning Family Member/s are Out of Work & Hence No Means to Sustain their Families &
Their Children are Part Cheshire Home’s Day Care Programme
(Above) I am Prasad, father (Above) I am Minoti, of Manasvi, a girl child with mother of 15 year old disability. I am a freelance Shivani, a girl child with carpenter by profession. I special needs. I am a have no new orders nor does housewife, while my anyone call me for repairs husband used to work in a since the past 2 months small garment manufacturing unit until it had to close down due to lockdown.
I am Shruti, mother of 9 year old Aryan, a child with special needs. I am a housewife, while my husband used to run a Roadside Pani Puri Stall (Street Food) which had to be closed due to the lockdown.
A Parent of Child with Profound Impairments Finding it Grocery Kit Distribution at Difficult to Leave Children Alone Were Provided Grocery Bhimnagar, Malad East at their Doorsteps, Amrutnagar Ghatkopar West and
Jagruti Nagar
Parent of Children with Profound Impairments Grocery Distribution at Provided Grocery at their Doorstep Asalfa, Andheri- Cheshire Home’s Premises, Kurla Road Andheri
(Left) A Youth with Hearing Impairment Thanking for the Grocery Kit in Indian Sign Language (Right) A Family Member of a Girl Child with Disability Provided Grocery Kit at Cheshire Home’s Outreach Centre at Ghatkopar (West).