In continuation with the feeding drive, Healthy Aging India (HAI) is initiating it's Community Livelihood Rehabilitation Program with 14 sewing machines donated by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
Running for nearly 40 days now, the feed drive has served more than one lakh cooked food and more than 20000 dry rations to over 900 families.
"The sewing machines will enable the preparation of 1,00,000 cloth masks that will also lead to income generation and rehabilitation of 100 families dwelling in 5 slum clusters of Delhi NCR," said Dr Prasun Chatterjee, Associate Professor, Department of Geriatric Medicine, AIIMS.
"The ragpicker community will be upskilled to tailoring which will in turn further enable the community to beat the Covid-19 crisis. Due to increasing evidence of asymptomatic Covid-19 patients, face masks/ face covers are considered a means of source control to reduce the transmission of Covid-19 and generating livelihood options. The Indian government has issued stringent guidelines to wear masks even after the lockdown period is over," said HAI spokesperson.
HAI spokesperson said wearing homemade- reusable-washable masks is a sustainable and accessible option to meet the burgeoning demand for masks.
"Moreover, due to Covid-19 nationwide lockdown, millions are predicted to have lost jobs and observed mass exodus of migrant workers to native homes. Given the state of the global economy slide, it would be a challenge to rebuild lives and livelihood even post lockdown period," HAI added.
"Community livelihood rehabilitation programs will give alternative livelihood opportunities to marginalised sections of society."
The donation event at Jose Marti Sarvodaya Vidyalaya was presided over by Ajay Yadav, IGP, CRPF who on behalf of Anand Maheshwari, DG, CRPF, congratulated HAI for feeding 900 families and supported the Covid-19 relief efforts of HAI.
HAI is a not for profit formed by doctors of AIIMS, Delhi. Since the beginning of the lockdown, HAI has been engaged in Covid-19 relief measures.
Since March 27, HAI has served more than 1 lakh nutritious meals and sensitized thousands of homeless from old age homes and migrant workers/ marginalised communities living in slum clusters of Delhi NCR.
( With inputs from ANI )