Community Spotlight Covid19 Response Alicia

We are a group of 4 people living in Para, North Goa, India. Smith is from Tamil Nadu, and Appy is from West Bengal. They have been married for 2 years. Vipin is a very skilled chef from Uttrakhand and I am Alicia from the UK. I fell in love with India and it’s people in 2016 on my first travel adventure to Goa.

Appy, Smith and Vipin have been providing cooked food and rations to the needy here in north goa since the lockdown date 25th March 2020. They have already spent around £4,000 out of their own pocket, which was their profit from this season feeding those in need.

We believe that it is a crime for people to be locked away without any access to food. The poor people here in India are suffering the most, their only means of survival has been snatched from them. Today, they’re on the brink of starvation. With no savings and income, they’re unable to go on without any support.

They are living below the breadline in absolute poverty, often in tiny tin shacks with a plastic roof beside roads and bus stations. It’s nearly 40° here in Goa and the monsoon is on it’s way. We were told by approx. 65 migrant workers today that the government is not coming to give them any food rations. Some of them are able to work now but money is stuck in positions above them so they are waiting for payment. We are having to give rations on credit at wholesale price as some of them cannot get to the shops which are giving reasonable prices. So we are delivering and giving food rations to last them 15days so they can continue to work during this pandemic, and they will pay us once they receive their wages.

Many groups who are stranded are planning to leave back to go back to their respective states. They have run out of money and don’t have any food. Some of them are forced to stay back because they don’t have a home back in their state. Some migrants are not able to find good work in their home states also.

The figures:-

We have served over 4450 meals to approx. 70 migrant workers who are in Canca.

Over 600 families have been provided rations since lockdown began

We receive on average 80 calls a day through the Goa Helpline from people who have ran out of food and money.
We need to raise approx.16,000rs (£170) per day to feed all the people in this area.

Today we gave enough rations to feed 75 people (15 families) + We served Daal and rice lunch to the group of migrant workers daily.

What’s inside the ration packs-
Rice 5kg
Flour 5kg
Daal 6kg
1 packet oil
2kg onion
2kg potatoes

Depending on the size of the family, we adjust accordingly.

We have served kichidi, daal/rice, channa aloo/ cuddi this week to the migrant workers. They were telling us that when the vans which were coming round organised by the authorities on the first week of lockdown have now stopped giving them food. They told us that the quality of rice was really bad and it didnt keep them full, the daal was also not cooked properly. AND so they are really grateful for our food quality as we still make it will love and that was gives it the incredible taste. They actually said the Daal we serve is too good for them, this makes me so emotional. We serve the same quality rice that we eat in the home. 1200rs for 25kg

We are not able to help everyone here on our own. We are relying on contributions, volunteers, donations of all sorts of things like fruit, clothes, plates, and of course money.

100% of the funds raised will be spent on food and gas (to supply a restaurant opposite the migrant workers) they have kindly offered to cook if we supply the gas and food.

The petrol is fully covered by Smith and all cooking equipment.

Please, if you can help us we would appreciate it more than words can express.

£10 can feed 50 people a cooked lunch. In some cases this is their only meal of the day but we are trying to supply rations also to those who do have cooking facilities.