The volunteers at Viswajayam Foundation, a Mylapore based NGO, distributed almost 60000 meals ever since the first lockdown was announced. But now they have stopped as all the funds have been used up. And they will be not be able to distribute food during the lockdown from June 19 to 30 unless they get more funding and volunteers sign up.
Sekar Viswanathan, who founded the foundation in July 2013, says that all his volunteers have stopped coming. Many of them are worried about the rising coronavirus numbers. “Two of my volunteers lost their father, not to coronavirus but because of other ailments. Four of our paid workers who do housekeeping work at the cancer ward at the government hospital at Royapettah came down with coronavirus. All of them were asymptomatic and went into quarantine for a few weeks. We had to shut down all operations for about 10 days in May as a result of that and we just resumed our regular housekeeping services on June 5”.
He says he would be glad to start distribution provided a few volunteers come forward and he has atleast one lakh rupees. “We can roll out atleast 4000 meals for that amount. Health care workers, nurses, doctors and patients inside government hospitals will definitely need food in the case of a lockdown”.
To donate to this cause contact Sekar at 9380022773. The foundation is located at 99, R. H. Road, Mylapore. Email them at viswajayam.fn@gmail.com.
