Nearly 85% of
meals distributed among the migrant population comprising ofdaily wage workers,
construction workers, contract laborers, street vendors who lost their
livelihood due to COVID-19
India, 13th July, 2020: With Unlock 2.0 in place and the whole country
trying to adapt to the new normal, there is a dire need to handhold lakhs of
migrant population who undertook the mass exodus from Tier-I cities to their villages.
Despite the lockdown being lifted, these vulnerable groups have not been able
to adapt to the new normal and restart their livelihood. They are still
struggling to meet their basic needs of food.Rise Against Hunger India (RAHI), a renowned NGO based out of Bengaluru
has been tirelessly supporting these vulnerable group over the past 4
months with meals across the country. Rise Against Hunger India (RAHI) has served 2.5
million meals till date to these vulnerable groups in 38 Districts spread
across 9 States in India. Out of this, nearly 85% of the meals were provided
to the migrant population which was the worst-hit due to COVID-19 & the
subsequent lockdown.
Talking about the milestone achievement, Mr. Dola Mohapatra, Executive Director,
Rise Against Hunger India said, “Over the last 4
months, our focus has widened to include more vulnerable groups under our meal
distribution programme. The early stages of our COVID-19 response was
concentrated on the metro cities focussing on the vulnerable community like
labour, daily-wagers. However, over the past 6 weeks, we have managed to reach
out across 38 districts in 9 States of India to cater to the migrants, who
moved back to their villages.”
Rise
Against Hunger India (RAHI) along with its strong network of partners&
volunteers managed to reach the several districts across Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab,
Rajasthan, UP, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala & Delhi. In the past 6 weeks over
1.2 million meals have been distributed, out of which close to 75% has outside
main metro cities.
“Out of
the 2.5 million meals distributed through our COVID-19 response over the last 4
months, nearly 85% have gone to workers who lost their employment during
COVID-19 related lockdowns or closures. We
were challenged by the logistical and other constraints, but all thanks to our
strong network of partners and field volunteers who helped us reach the most
vulnerable groups.” added Mr. Mohapatra.
RAHI envisages that continued support will be
required in the coming 4-6 months for these migrants who have been the
worst-hit.
“Hunger is the biggest enemy for these groups as
of today and we need to work towards providing them ample provisions, so that
they along with their families can have 2 decent meals per day. Due to spike in
number of cases, the uncertainty prevails over when workers will be able to get
back to earn a stable income. In these tough times, we need to support them.We
would like to appeal to all corporate groups, large business houses and other
organisations who wish to contribute to come forward and help in providing
basic food to these people and prevent them from succumbing to hunger.”, Mr. Mohapatra added.
Apart from food, RAHI is also planning to
mobilize essentials like cooking oil, spices, masks etc. which can be utilized
by these people.
In order to contribute to the cause led by RAHI, you can visit:
About
Rise Against Hunger India (RAHI):
Rise against Hunger, an international hunger
relief organization, aims to show the world that it is, in fact, possible to
end hunger by the year 2030. In 2014, RAH India was created as an independent
entity in India, formally registered as ‘Stop Hunger Now India' but later
changed to Rise Against Hunger India in 2017. Headquartered in Bangalore, RAH
India program began in 2015 due to increased interest and support by corporate
partners to involve in meal packaging program. RAHI is committed to nourishing
lives, providing emergency aid, empowering communities and growing the hunger
movement. From floods to droughts, RAHI has been actively responding to
emergencies. The team actively works towards bolstering agricultural production
and income through various agricultural methods, business skills and market
access.
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