Overview of the Pandemic in Mumbai

The ongoing Corona virus pandemic has caused massive disruptions globally. The situation is particularly grim in India, where an emergency lockdown had brought life to a screeching halt for many, especially the migrants, daily wage earners and the poor. While the lockdown brings safety, it also brings hunger, unemployment, school closures and disruption in learning. Maharashtra being the worst-hit states by the pandemic and Mumbai alone houses thousands of vulnerable families and individuals. While most of us are safely confined to our homes with adequate food supplies, the underprivileged in Mumbai do not have access to even the basic necessities.  

Brief about VIDYA:

VIDYA runs 78 projects based out of 5 metros in India: Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune and has educated 3.5 Lakh children, youth and women. We still have many more dreams to realize and lots of work to do in order to make a difference to many more lives. Our nationally recognized grass-root level programs include schools, beyond school education, distance learning, computer training, youth management, adult literacy, skills training and social entrepreneurship for the less privileged section of the society. We strive every day to provide high quality education, empowerment, opportunities and second chances to children, youth and women.

VIDYA Mumbai

VIDYA has 36 centers running across Mumbai that serve their neighboring communities to the best of their ability. In total these 36 centers combined serve nearly 10,000- 12,000 beneficiaries. With an estimate of helping one person per family in a family of four, the desired target of the relief effort is spread out to approximately 40,000- 60,000 people in Mumbai.

Due to the generous support by individuals across the world, even our corporate donors came forth and supported our internal initiatives. Our on-ground efforts in Mumbai included provision of grocery kits, preventive kits, mask generation and distribution through our Margam team in less privileged communities as well as to the local authorities. We also distributed some protective equipment to healthcare workers in and around Mumbai.


A few of the people we helped even expressed their gratitude to us.  Santosh, a housekeeping staff in Kherwadi, who was left unemployed by the pandemic, speaking on behalf of his family, expressed his gratitude towards VIDYA: “Our families are eternally grateful to VIDYA for providing us meals twice a day. Thanks to your efforts, our families have been able to have our meals in this difficult time.”

Distribution of Grocery Kits in various communities by VIDYA Mumbai 

VIDYA’s Initiative, along with a few individuals – entrepreneurs, corporate leaders and others – launched the Food Distribution Project to set up temporary camps across communities for distribution in different zones of Mumbai. The food camps serve pre-packaged meals and ration kits through a network of supply partners, local volunteers and partner NGOs, while maintaining strict distancing and hygiene protocols. The initiative aimed to make sure that the less privileged don’t go to sleep with a hungry stomach. As the team was dedicatedly taking measures to ‘Lockdown Hunger’ in the city!

With the continuous support, The Mumbai Food Project delivered around 2500 grocery kits in vulnerable communities over the last two months. As and when the lockdown restrictions ease up across the country, it will be more important than ever to empower the vulnerable communities with education and skills so that they support and sustain themselves. Therefore, we are also running a second campaign of raising refurnished digital devices for our beneficiaries, so that we can make sure that there is continuity in there Education and skill learning. 

VIDYA Mumbai Hon’ble Vice President, Dr.Nayan Dabholkar, Executive Board Member, Mr. Pradeep Deshpande & Operations Manager, Ms. Mary Dias distributing protective Kits to local Police

Impact

VIDYA’s extensive reach through established educational initiatives in less privileged areas, and the support of our supply partners, helped the Mumbai Food Project to deliver more than 3622 grocery kits. We need your help to continue to provide hope to the vulnerable communities in these difficult times like the current pandemic. 

Your help will ensure that the less privileged don’t go to sleep hungry. Even in isolation, we can all stand united! So come forward, join hands with us and donate to make sure we Lockdown Hunger and Empower them with Education!

If you’d like to support VIDYA’s COVID Relief initiative, click here: https://vidya-india.org/fighting-covid-19-with-vidya/

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