Digital Supply Chain Innovation In Feeding The Daily Wage Labourers During Coronavirus Pandemic Situation By Mahila Saksham Foundation NGO
Mahila Saksham Foundation began as an organization that recognized the economic potential in gender equality and worked towards it with the dual aim of financial inclusion in the Indian banking system. Along with 100% employability for the women of the Mahila Saksham Training and Mentorship Center via vocational skills training and by partnering with potential employers. It is founded by Aishwarya Ganji, a Mumbai based Social Entrepreneur takes the charge to provide “Ration For ALL” the daily wage workers during this pandemic situation.
However, instead of the recent pandemic that has stalled their primary project, they have decided to stand up in the dire hour of need and in solidarity with humanity to fight for the voiceless. In doing so, they have teamed up with an already established Trust namely the M.T.M Group. The group works for the upliftment of the poor in disadvantaged areas of Maharashtra.
Their initiative “Ration for ALL” urges contributors to donate money directly for the cause of empowering the daily migrant workers in buying groceries, daily utilities a.k.a ration themselves. A lot of these workers come from neighbouring states such as Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and more.
#RationForALL Campaign During Pandemic
This is how the campaign works during Pandemic:
A donation of INR 1,000 will provide the following for a family of 3 migrant labourers—
5KG rice, 1 KG Daal, 1 L Oil, Biscuits, 1 KG onions, 1 KG potatoes, and some vegetables. This will help them survive for 10 days until the lockdown period ends.
How to Donate:
They accept Paytm only to the number 8169425343 (Sarala), or DM the founder directly for Net Banking details.
Allocation:
This amount will be allocated to disadvantaged areas. With a high concentration of migrant labourers by transferring the Paytm account to the local grocer directly.
Distribution:
Moreover, their on-ground volunteers powered by the M.T.M Group (A charitable trust) will make a kit and deliver. And they will deliver the same from the grocer to the migrant workers.
Proof:
After your donation, you will receive a proof of deployment that will include Paytm transferred, to the local grocer, ration bought and a video from the migrant labor family receiving the ration, that thanks to the donor.
So far, they have been able to help over 1000 families and continue to help more during the pandemic. They have allocated these funds to deploy over 800 KG worth of rice, 225 KG worth of Dal and counting, 275 litres of cooking oil, 300 soaps and 300 detergents. And all these in disadvantaged areas such as Versova, Girgaon Goregaon, Jawahar Nagar, Adarsh Nagar, And Lino Road, Andheri West; among others. They have on-ground volunteers that bifurcate ration and distribute it among daily wage labourers in these areas directly.
The Fight Against Corona Pandemic Can’t Be Won With An Empty Stomach
The social and women entrepreneur, Aishwarya Ganji believes that the fight against the Corona pandemic cannot be won with lakhs of people with an empty stomach. Daily wage labourers and migrant labourers have suffered the most economically during the pandemic lockdown. It’s very apparent that their potential plight was not taken into consideration during policymaking (or the lack thereof) while legislative procedures were put in place.
While Mahila Saksham is completely in favor of social distancing and work from home as an effective measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic – this lack of foresight is a failing on the government’s part. Having said that, ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. This is what the organization firmly believes in.
In place of all of these, the “Ration For ALL” Campaign began, with the mission of leaving no migrant or daily wager behind, as India bravely fights the coronavirus pandemic.
If you wish to contribute, we urge you to follow Mahila Saksham’s handle @mahilasaksham on Instagram. You can message them directly and check their work in real-time during this COVID_19 pandemic situation.
E-mail @ aishwarya@mahilasaksham.org
