It all started when two friends, Nandini Ghosh and Shray Gupta felt the need to do their part in helping people amidst pandemics. That’s when they had a call and decided to focus on something that generally stigmatizes people.
They chose to feed crematorium and Kabristan workers who have been risking their lives every day to dispose of the bodies of COVID-19 victims since last year. They started by distributing some 100 food packets at Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi.
“Ever since the second wave struck, a lot of us have been feeling helpless. The feeling grew stronger, and I called Shray, who has been helping people with resources already, asking him if we could do something. Then we decided to help the crematoriums staff workers with food,” shares Nandini with LifeBeyondNumbers.
They were shocked to see the bodies once they reached the spot. However, they got more worried when they learned that workers are not getting their meals. That’s when they decided to step in.
“First, we were shocked because bodies were still coming in. A worker told us that bodies come all night these days. The crematorium office staff person said they provide all meals to the workers. But when we asked the workers, they said they are managing themselves. We gave dinner packets to about 30 of them. The rest of 70 packets were distributed to other workers at the crematorium,” says Shray.
In the next couple of days, two other friends Yavanika and Kriya joined them, and they together found ‘The Good Food Project’. They realized that they need more funds and volunteers and thus started spreading the word.
To feed even 100 people daily at a few crematoriums, they needed about ₹50,000 a day. Thus, they started an online crowdfunding campaign and raised 15 Lakhs. There are currently 30-40 volunteers, all professionals and entrepreneurs, across the country and abroad who became part of the project.
“Most of the people who agreed to volunteer were those who had faced a personal loss due to COVID-19,” Gupta stressed.
29-years-old Dawar Naqvi became a part of the project because one of his uncles, a retired Army Colonel, died of COVID-19 and there was no one during his funeral.
“There were no relatives there, not even his children. His wife was still in the hospital fighting the virus. He was cremated by non-family members. We were in so much pain that a person who always had a well-decorated life was all alone in his last journey. People in the crematorium are doing selfless service, helping them is my way of giving back to the society,” Naqvi says.
With the funds raised, they have managed to provide 6000 meals, including both lunch and dinner, N 95 masks, and 8000 PPE kits to workers across 26 crematoriums in New Delhi. Additionally, many food brands have been donating meals to the team.
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“We started with buying food from small businesses from our funds. Gradually, many food brands have come forward to provide meals from their side,” informs Yavanika who is a lawyer and looks after the social media of the project.
The team members wear PPE kits and take all the precautions while donating the food. Also, they have chosen volunteers very cautiously to ensure their safety.
“We have chosen single professionals who live alone and have had at least one dose of vaccine to give out the food,” Yavanika tells.
Apart from these, the team is on to getting these workers vaccinated. They are researching heat-resistant PPE kits that will ease the pain of the workers. They have also noticed the unavailability of cold drinking water for the workers for which they are looking into some permanent setup.