Mumbai: Bandra youths provide free meals to beggars and footpath dwellers

Beggars and footpath dwellers have been the worst affected in the city due to the Covid19 restrictions Many are forced to starve since they can no longer get alms as markets shops and offices are shut due to the pandemic and most citizens have been staying at home Fortunately a group of boys from Bandra have stepped forward to help some of themLast week struggling artiste Yusuf Shaikh stepped out of his Bandra home for some personal work and saw the deplorable conditions of footpath dwellers who were hoping to get something to eat from people seen on the streetWhat led to itldquoSeeing them disturbed me and I decided to distribute free meals to the destitute in Bandrardquo said 25yearold Shaikh who is a musicianThe Jain food meal that Arham Yuva Seva Group distributesHe approached a friend who owns a dhaba located at Bandra Reclamation for help to cook the food and to get it packed into small packets so that they could be distributed among beggars and footpath dwellersShaikh said his friends who were excited with his idea Robert Metri Altamash Theba Rafi Khan Mohsin Khan Jazz Montario and Rohan Khan are helping him Interestingly all of them are Bandra locals and have different work profiles including auto rickshaw driver celebrity photographer struggling singer and social worker They are not affiliated to any foundation or NGOldquoWe have contributed money from our pockets for the food We purchase vegetables grains chicken etc and get the food cooked at the dhaba Then we move out in different directions in search of those who need itrdquo Shaikh added The food packets include chickenveg biryanipulav daal riceroti and a water bottle The friends distribute the meals once a dayldquoThe children often demand biscuits and chocolates So we are planning to carry some munchies for them provided we get them in the lockdownrdquo he addedA destitute person having the mealThe good Samaritans have also had heartwrenching experiences while they have been out on their mission While distributing food packets at Carter Road they met a former security guard who had not eaten anything for the past four days ldquoHe cried and showered us with blessings and told us that he wanted to return home but could not get a train ticket He has been stranded on the road He lost his job and had nothing to eatrdquo added ShaikhlsquoWe also help the policersquoAsked if the police stop their vehicle Shaikh said ldquoWe have been helping people so cops have been cooperating with us We often ask them to check our vehicle where stacks of food packets and water bottles are kept for distribution We also distribute water bottles to the cops as they too have been working round the clockrdquo The group of Bandra boys has been distributing 315 food packets every dayFood for patients and kinAn NGO Arham Yuva Seva Group has been distributing Jain food to Covid19 patients and their family membersldquoWe have been distributing Jain food free of cost to Covid19 patients and their family members in Mulund Ghatkopar Malad Kandivli Borivli Sion Wadala Matunga Parel Dadar Worli and Vasairdquo said Rajesh Bhai Shah a member of the NGO in Vasai The distribution is twice a dayldquoOur tiffin service is named Param Tiffin Sahay and we give roti sabji daal chawal and farsaan We seek a Covid19 report or the bill of tests before sending our tiffin to peoplesrsquo door step The food distributor is well protected with a double mask face shield hand gloves PPE suit etcrdquo said Shah adding that more than 1000 families have been availing this facility as the family of an infected person also cannot leave the house315No of food packets distributed daily by the group