COVID Emergency Rations for India's Ultra-poor

When India locked down in March, millions of daily labourers, rag pickers, beggars, maidservants, rickshaw drivers, market traders and all those engaged in India’s huge and vibrant informal economy, found themselves unable to go out and earn the small daily wage that allowed them to feed themselves and their families. 

Tiljala SHED has worked amongst such vulnerable communities for over thirty years, providing education, livelihood training, health care and, importantly, emergency relief.  A family that just about survives in the good times can find itself destitute and hungry very quickly when things go wrong. And this happened on a spectacular scale back in April.  But thanks to you and many others, Tiljala SHED was able to distribute vital food rations to over 6500 families.

This was far from easy: huge amounts of rice, dal, tea, cooking oil, biscuits, soap, onions etc had to be purchased, stored and bagged up.  Distribution had to be tightly controlled due to the overwhelming clamour of need as well as the social distancing restrictions in place.

Our small team of staff and volunteers did an absolutely amazing job, putting themselves at risk of infection and exhaustion to be able to help the neediest.

But most importantly YOU enabled us to help Kolkata’s most vulnerable families get through the darkest days of fear and hunger.  Thank you.

But emergency relief is an ongoing project. Just this week, as the community is getting back onto its feet again after lockdown eased, a fire swept through the Topsia squatter camp.  

So please continue to support our work.  Thank you.

Links:

• How the team took relief to the Sundarbans
• How a fire swept through one of our most vulnerable communities