New Delhi, May 25, 2020: In a goodwill gesture during the tough times, NGO Hindrise Social Welfare Foundation has come forward to provide food, free face masks, grocery items to daily wage earners, children, homeless and other people affected by the curfew imposed in Noida and Delhi-NCR.
COVID-19 has changed the lifestyle and overall living condition of the Lower and middle-class segment of the population in India. Due to the prolonged lockdown prevailing all over the nation, millions of daily wage workers have lost their jobs and later being forced to go back to their home towns in UP, Bihar and other parts of North India, many trudging on foot due to the absence of any means of transport available. Already fighting with hunger, they have been walking for hundreds of miles, further deteriorating the condition. The scenario is thus very disheartening.
Hindrise community members have been organising ‘langar’ (free kitchen) at several sectors and villages in Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, and major locations of East Delhi. The NGO team is funded by several chartered accountants, company secretaries, lawyers, and a group of ex-armed force senior officers. “Because of the community support and use of our own savings for the fight against corona, we have been able to bring a change,” added Narendra Kumar, Founder, Hindrise Social Welfare Foundation.
Co-founders & Head Operations, Suman Jha and. Robin Bhati (Project Head- Noida) jointly added, “The homemakers and the kids had very painful movement after the lockdown was declared. They were forced to sleep without food. It was during this sensitive moment the Hindrise team realised that there is an indispensable need to help. We attempt to benefit the helpless individuals by free distribution of milk and ready-to-eat food packets on the national highway connecting to Greater Noida, Greater Noida West and Ghaziabad.” They further added, “We have limited resources and lack of funds but we are facing these many challenges head-on due to strong will power of our team members. The situation has proved that nothing is impossible if you have the right intention to serve the needy and God brings support for good work.”
“We have been hit hard by the pandemic, and that too in a dual manner. We not only have to fight against the spread of the disease but the underlying poverty in the country which needs equal attention. Along with financial assistance and moral support, appropriate training to fight against COVID-19 was necessary,” said Monisha Chaudhary (Co-founder and Legal Head). She further added: “It is was necessary for us to create awareness about social distancing norms, encouraging community about the benefits of using the face masks and importance of washing hands and use of sanitisers.” Monisha has been playing a vital role in helping more than 50,000 migrants reach their designated place safely. “Along with providing disaster relief support to the community, we will continue to open more support centres for women empowerment and child welfare in various parts of Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.”
Narendra Kumar added, “Over 70 per cent of the expatriates have returned to their villages in UP and Bihar. When the lockdown will be over, the challenge would be to bring back the migrants to work. In the era of such pandemic, the local administration of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar should actively make some revival plans for industries. In the end, we are very hopeful that India will win this fight against COVID-19 and we will recover soon. The economy will return back to normal in the next four to six months.”