Good Samaritans feeding those in home isolation

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 1

The country has been badly hit by the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Lives have been disrupted in ways many could not even have imagined. However, in these challenging times, good Samaritans are coming forward to help those in distress. And one of many ways they are doing so is by providing free food to those in home isolation. Kunwar Sartaj Singh, a resident of Urban Estate Phase-1, has come up with the initiative of providing free meals to Covid-19 infected residents.

“It’s been three days since we are reaching out to Covid patients in the district, who are in isolation and couldn’t have access to cooked meals. Before actively delivering the meals at the doorstep of Covid victims, we started reaching out to locals through our social media pages and circulated our contact details. So far, we have delivered food to nearly 60-70 patients. We are receiving positive response from people,” said Sartaj.

A few months after the outbreak last year, Kunwar along with his friends started their NGO ‘EduYouth Foundation’ to lend a helping hand to the underprivileged children by providing them stationery and books. Afterwards, as a member of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, they made a group of volunteers to help farmers in the ongoing farmers’ protest

“The meals are being sought majorly by families where women members are also sick and are recovering from the virus. Those who are living away from their families and are alone in the self-isolation period also ring up for meals. We ourselves deliver food at their doorstep. As we have hired a dhaba to prepare and pack food, it takes us 30-45 minutes to reach at the patient’s house. In addition, to follow social distancing, either a non-infected member of the family comes at the door to pick up the food packets or it is kept in a container to avoid any contact with the infected person,” said Gurkirat Singh, another member of the NGO.

Due to his job and wife’s illness, Kamaljit wasn’t able to afford cooked meals, however, after knowing about the NGO, his problem was resolved and he managed to provide two-square meals to his family of four. Working as a delivery boy, Kamaljit appreciated the NGO for its compassionate efforts.