A crusade against hunger in the time of COVID-19 pandemic and cyclones
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Adversity typically thrusts individuals to the fore. The world notices their braveness to face up for one thing or go the further mile to assist others, at the same time as they themselves are inconvenienced.
Srini Swaminathan, 41, is a social growth guide. He is completely satisfied to offer meals to the homeless. The COVID-19 pandemic opened new doorways for him. He has been busy for just a few days now, inserting orders for sweets buns, bread and tea to feed the homeless in the metropolis in view of Cyclone Burevi.
Last week, as the authorities was making ready to mitigate the injury that Cyclone Nivar might do to the metropolis, he was fast to rearrange meals for homeless individuals curled up beneath flyovers and at avenue corners and aid centres. Last week alone, he fed almost 3,500 homeless individuals and rescue employees throughout the metropolis. “I gave sweet buns, chapathi and tea to people at the relief centres and the homeless in Velachery, Kottivakkam, Tambaram, Palavakkam and Madipakkam. I wanted to supplement what the Chennai Corporation was doing,” he says.
This concept dawned on him in March, when the pandemic descended on Chennai and migrant employees have been about to depart the metropolis in particular trains after a protracted battle. “I wondered where they would eat during a journey that could take more than a day, with all shops closed. So I withdrew about ₹1 lakh from my savings and bought chapathis and bread for these workers. Subsequently, help poured in; close to ₹40 lakh was collected through crowd-funding, and nearly 1.45 lakh food packets were distributed. There was some money left, and I used it for providing food to the homeless during Nivar and Burevi,” he provides.
Not simply the homeless, he additionally packs meals and tea for rescue employees, together with policemen and company employees. He goes out distributing meals to these depending on temple ‘annadhanam’ throughout the lockdown interval. He coordinates with three meals and tea distributors and volunteers from Maatram Educational and Charitable Trust for meals distribution. “It is all about paying it forward. I broke the cycle of poverty by getting help from the community and the government. Now it is the time to give it in abundance to those in need. If you cannot help the hyperlocal community around you, even in little ways, change will never happen,” he says.
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