Media Releawe
Bengaluru, Jun 17: Bangalore Rural Educational And Development Society (BREADS) on June 14 and 15 distributed 2000 units of cooked poha (beaten rice preparation) and cookies to migrant families travelling from Bangalore City Railway station to Danapur, Bihar. BREADS Bengaluru also distributed 2000 units of food and cookies to migrant families travelling from Bengaluru to Guwahati by Shramik train on June 14, said Fr Joy N, Director, BREADS.
Fr Joy said BREADS Bengaluru was happy to associate with the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR), Good Quest Foundation, Project Vision, Aifo India and Corona Care Bengaluru in reaching out to the tribal colonies in the Nagarahole Forest East belt in Karnataka. A total of 800 families with more than 1800 children were supplied with essential items. The hamlets covered were Nagarahole Forest East belt (Aanaechowkuruaadi, Bamboochowkuaadi, Janglaadi), Nagarahole Forest Central reserve area (Ashramashaala) and Nagarahole Forest West belt (Anthrasante, Maladaadi, Aanaemalaaadi, Bavalliaadi). BREADS provided poha, cookies and face masks for all the people in the colonies.
Don Bosco BREADS Bengaluru in solidarity with COVID-19-affected
BREADS coordinates all the development work of the Salesians of Don Bosco in Karnataka and Kerala. Besides empowering marginalised children, adults and communities with education and access to their rights since 1993, it works with environmental concerns, and responds actively to help people affected by disasters, explained Fr Joy, known for his developmental activities for several years.
The COVID 19 pandemic is certainly a disaster in terms of its impact on human life and livelihood and continues to take its toll in India. The nation-wide lockdowns from March 25 to slow down the infection threw the country into chaos. The immediate loss of jobs and income translated into imminent loss of food and shelter for millions of people already living on the edge of survival. Many migrants and daily wagers chose to walk hundreds of kilometres to get back home to some form of security. Dependent on daily wages, their inability to earn during the imposed lockdowns derailed their lives and made them dependent on state and private charity.
BREADS began its interventions in Karnataka and Kerala immediately after the lockdown.It commissioned its women’s self-help groups in Bengaluru, Chitradurga, Bidar, Hospet and Kollam to produce cloth face masks to meet the increasing need. The non-availability of masks especially for the poorer sections of society encouraged and made them go for it. The women did an excellent job of jointly producing 249,670 masks for distribution to hospitals, police and health personnel, vendors and the general public.
A vital initiative during the lockdown has been the provision of food kits to families who had no supplies and money to meet their necessities. To date, a total of 20,066 food kits were provided to homeless people, daily wage labourers, sick people and migrants, which benefited 85,537 persons. These kits usually included rice, dal, oil, sugar, salt and wheat flour and sanitary items too, according to the location. Additionally, daily distribution of cooked food packets reached 110,356 people so far. BREADS organised the distribution of 48650 ready-to-eat food items to migrants waiting at various locations for their turn to travel home.
BREADS has been working especially closely with migrants in Kerala over the past few years through its Kerala Interstate Migrants Alliance for Transformation (KISMAT). Sensitive and alert to the situation, its 12 migrant help desks in 11 districts of Kerala responded as soon as private interventions became possible. Working closely with the state administration, KISMAT helped contain the migrants’ panic with numerous house and construction site visits. BREADS also spread COVID 19 awareness through 11 medical camps and 240 awareness programmes in various languages. It distributed groceries and cooked food, reaching 67746migrants. KISMAT is closely involved in organising the migrants’ return to their homes. Several calls and messages of gratitude poured in as migrants began to reach their homes. As Ajay Kumar from Bihar said on boarding the train, “The KISMAT team helped us a lot; with food when we had none, explaining things, organising travel, coordinating with the police for us to go home, providing food and water for the journey too." He thanked the team and the Kerala government too, saying “I salute you.”
BREADS has collaborated with innumerable people to spread the net of solidarity for those in need. With corporate partners, local administration, other NGOs, Don Bosco partners, agencies and individuals gave and received support as the situation demanded worked out well for the welfare of the people. No contribution is insignificant in such a situation of need. Unfortunately, as most know, the situation is not getting better. BREADS is trying to work out the best way to continue immediate support of the people most affected while working towards their long term rehabilitation, Fr Joy outlined their development and charitable activities.