Since the Coronavirus-induced prohibitory orders have been imposed in the district, daily wage earners and workers of the informal sector are now deprived of their only source of income. They are more worried about starving to death than the virus itself.
But Rotary Club of Central Lumbini has launched a food bank to serve as a platform for distributing food items to underprivileged people.
The club and volunteers associated with it have run the food bank to help feed the poor, homeless and others in need at the time of pandemic. The food bank which is in operation from May 10 has already distributed food relief to 157 households, the club informed
The programme is being operated continuously, as the number of people seeking relief is increasing by the day.
“The daily wage earners and labourers are now jobless. Many have been working for industries which are now shut and are not going to open soon,” said Chairman of the club Hira Bahadur Shah.
“We realized that in such a crisis, many people may die of starvation,” said Shah, adding that was why they thought they should open the food bank. “So that people can willingly donate food and we can deliver food packages to the needy families,” he added.
So far 157 households have benefited from the campaign, he added.
Stating that worldwide Rotarians have been involved in various humanitarian works, he asked all the industrialists, organisations and social workers to help the needy families through the food bank.
Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development of Lumbini Santosh Kumar Pandey, who inaugurated the food bank, has also expressed his commitment to support the food bank personally, in case of any shortage.
Bimal Century, the founding president of the club and programme coordinator, said that food items were being delivered to the needy families at their doorstep through the food bank.
Along with the food items, the club has been distributing medical masks to the needy people, he added.
Krishna Prasad Adhikari, treasurer of the club, and Dharmabir Sharma, a member of the club who were assigned to deliver food items to the poor families, said they were happy to serve the needy people, though it might put their own life at risk.
Before the start of the food bank, Dharmavir Sharma was personally providing food relief to the needy people. But Sharma, who is also a member of the club, joined the campaign after the club decided to run the food bank.
Source : THE RISING NEPAL,
