Image Courtesy: thedawoodibohras.com
Amid the despair and distress spread by the coronavirus outbreak, stories of hope are emerging, with individuals and communities stepping on ground to help those who have been left devoid of basic necessities due to the unprecedented lockdown. One example of this is an organisation of the Bohra community in Udaipur which has launched a project to distribute food packets to the needy, reported the Udaipur Times.
Around 20 volunteers from the Bohra Youth Sansthan have started distributing more than 300 food packets daily, mostly to daily wagers who have been robbed of their income due to the coronavirus lockdown. With utmost importance given to hygiene, each food packet is packed with one vegetable dish, chapattis, rice and bottled water. The chapattis are made by the women of the community at their homes, an effort that lowers the cost of each pack.
Anees Miyaji, Secretary, Bohra Youth Sansthan and President – BYMRS said, “The quantity is sufficient for two meals and we want to keep it simple so that we are able to continue for a longer time based on the funds we have.”
He also said that the volunteers take all precautions in light of Covid-19 – from preparation to distribution. They are also given masks, sanitisers and gloves for when they go out to distribute the food.
Bohra Youth giving foods to the needy in Udaipur. Rajasthan.@ndtv @RubikaLiyaquat @Sampat_Saral @TheDeshBhakt @_sayema @Nidhi @bainjal @zoo_bear @ParaRjs @srivatsayb @mmazumdar2014 @khanumarfa @BDUTT pic.twitter.com/38w0QvxCQn
— Hussain Tasir (@hussain2577) March 30, 2020
The Bohra Reformists also run the Bohra Youth Medical Relief Society (BYMRS) which has been active in serving the needy and the local administration has asked them to continue their work. Apart from providing food, the community also visits labour camps that house daily wagers and provides them with medical aid.
Anees informs that they have created a distribution network for everyone irrespective of their caste and creed and the effort to provide them with food and medical aid will continue as long as required.
The initiative is being highly appreciated by the community and as the word spreads, the demand is increasing. One such area where help is needed is the Khanjipeer Kachchi Basti, home to scores of daily wagers who are struggling to survive. Another area is Bohrawadi itself where there are aged and ailing people and some living alone who are unable to fend for themselves amid the lockdown.
Donations have been pouring in from community members and they have been generous with their inputs. In case of shortage of finances, the Bohra Reformist community plans to seek assistance from various other reformist groups in Udaipur.
Anees says, “The community needs to rally around in such extraordinary circumstances where other issues have to take a backseat.”
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