4000 hungry families. 38 slums. And a note of thanks
Millions of Indians lost their livelihoods due to the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly after the devastating second Delta wave of early 2021. As always, the already underprivileged, like the daily wage earners and women and children who live in urban slums, were among the worst hit.
Sukarya, which works to empower women and children in the slums of Delhi and Gurgaon, quickly swung into action. Within days, our COVID Relief Food Support Program ensured that thousands of dry food packets were organized and distributed to help these slum-dwellers that faced acute food shortages, with a special focus on reproductive-aged women [15-49 years] and children below five, who are the most susceptible to anemia and malnutrition. These packets, which contain enough flour, rice, pulses, and oil to feed a family of five, were distributed among 38 slums over the past year.
Sukarya also organized camps across these slums to sensitize and generate awareness about the safety measures to avoid infections and the benefits of vaccination against the deadly virus. Between May 2021 and March 2022, these interventions helped over 4000 marginalized families, or 20,000 people if we take an average of 5 members per family, living in 38 urban slums in Delhi and Gurgaon, tide over an acute crisis of poverty and hunger.
Of course, this mission would not have been possible without the prompt and generous support of donors who stepped up to help us. So on behalf of Sunita, who lives with her five young children in a small tented jhuggi [hutment] in Delhi’s Rangpuri Pahadi slum, and Savita, 28, from Inder Camp slum, and hundreds of others from the slums of Samalkha, Kapashera, Naalapar, and more, Team Sukarya India would like to express its immense gratitude to GlobalGiving, Give India, Sukarya USA, Fidelity International and Herbalife Nutrition Foundation, Charities Aid Foundation India and all the other companies and individuals that helped us with their generous contributions.
