In the villages of Anand, 200 food kits were distributed in the following areas:
(1) Bharel Village – 55 foodkits
(2) Sundarna Village – 15 foodkits
(3) Bochasan Village – 30 foodkits
(4) Piploi Village – 25 foodkits
(5) Virsad Village – 39 foodkits
(6) Petlad Village – 6 foodkits
(7) Timba Village – 30 foodkits
Our activists identified those most in need, which in these villages happened to be the unemployed who were factory workers; in an ice-cream factory in Vidhyanagar, chemical factory in Nandesari, iron factory, daily wagers and brick kilns. During the lockdown all of these factories were shut and due to the upcoming monsoon season, the brick kilns will remain closed for the next 4 months.
In Finaw, a foodkit was given to 25-year-old Nazmaben (name changed) who was married 25 years ago and had no children. Back then she suffered domestic violence at the hands of her husband and in anger, he cut off her nose with a knife. She didn’t raise a case 25 years ago as she didn’t have any support and she has since lived with her brother and sister-in-law and it has difficult for her. Prior to lockdown, she used to clean utensils at a street-vendor’s stall which had to stop as stalls were not allowed.
In Petlad, a foodkit was given to Anilbhai (name changed) and his family of 5 (his wife plus 4 children). Prior to the lockdown, their family used to collect recyclables from rubbish heaps, to sort and sell the retrieved paper and plastic to a factory but this work stopped during the lockdown so he they were left with no steady source of income. Due to growing tensions and conflict in his household during the lockdown about how he would provide for his family, he attempted suicide and jumped from the balcony of his first-floor apartment. He ended up breaking his leg and now has a prosthetic limb in place but is unable to walk properly.
Foodkits were given to migrant and daily-wage labourers around the brick kiln in Sundarna. Sumanbhai (name changed) who used to work in the brick kiln to earn his living, fell upon extremely hard times when this kiln ceased production. This kiln had been closed for the past 3 months but will now remain closed for the next 4 more months or so as due to the monsoon season, it is typical for them to stop production as there is no means for the bricks to dry properly.
Thank you very kindly for your donation and continued support.
Peace and Equality Cell 