Corona Times -2020 --22. Heartening to see Anil Srivatsa's posts on Face Book. Very dedicated efforts by groups of concerned youngsters.
Migrant worker exodus due to COVID-19 lock down.
MIGRANT WORKER RELIEF HELP
He has done a great job. Also a greater job by covering the efforts by many groups of volunteers with pictures and videos. My job is to 'just' link them for your view.
And I assure you will be impressed!
It has been a very hard job and a highly dedicated effort by different groups of young volunteers. Please do watch the videos. It is fascinating! We also get different perspectives each day.
Hopefully Anil puts these videos together. The documentary will be a piece of history.
Read on:
10 June, 2020
DAY 24: my first day of rest from the migrant worker relief work I was doing. Thought I was done... but no... some won't let me.
Today a 13 year old inspired by our work sent me 500 Lassi biscuits and buns to give to the migrants. And then followed by a financial contribution to the trust by another person... So off I am again tomorrow with a special message from 13 year old Navya to the guest workers holed up in a shelter wanting to go to Bihar with No hope in sight as there are not enough people to fill a train. So they are in Limbo now depending on generous folks for their food and water.
Some people in places of access are discussing merging two states into one adding Jharkand. Hope this works and we can send them home.
The cars were all loaded with all the goodies Navya the 13 year old who inspired me to get back to the front-line and join my fellow humanitarians to continue to try and make the guest workers lives a bit easier as they uproot from all parts of the state and go home to wait out the decline of the pandemic. Bangalore, in the past month has seen off over 300000 workers and the administration is skinned to the bone. The police, the municipality, the volunteers and the donors.
Today our main objective was to deliver the gifts that the 13 year old Navya pledged to give and we arrived at BIEC where around 450-500 guest workers from bihar and Jharkand states were waiting for the past three days for word about the train to take them home. The administration was waiting for the numbers to grow to justify the expense of the trian. I wonder how much it costs to charter a train??.
We started packing at about 12:30 and got done about 3. 500 bags. .....
Day 26 - The Final frontier.
1800 migrants seen off with love food, kids goodie bags, and the adults were sent off with some goodies in a bag, some jokes to make them laugh and an occasional piece of mind when they act too smart to deprive another.
1800 migrants seen off with love food, kids goodie bags, and the adults were sent off with some goodies in a bag, some jokes to make them laugh and an occasional piece of mind when they act too smart to deprive another.
Today saw me work shoulder to shoulder with the police towards the end helping with crowd control just before they go on the bus. Kajoling them, threatening them, cajoling them. I am so impressed with Bangalore police with the way they managed this. Overall the police administration at BIEC was the better than the rest hands down. They get the award.
I am going to work at the back ground now and leave the frontline to my team mates. It's time to take care of the personal life and professional life before that falls apart.
Thanks for donating to the GOLA trust Mohan Devegowda on behalf of Runaddicts Foundation (running club). We bought water and cloth bags today. Enjoy watching #yourmoneyatwork
#Rotarian #Rotary Rotary Bangalore Social Rotary Worldwide Rotary International.
Please see the Pictures on the final day
#Rotarian #Rotary Rotary Bangalore Social Rotary Worldwide Rotary International.
Please see the Pictures on the final day
The groups of volunteers
It began with a decision Anil took on May 18, 2020.
I have decided to do my bit for the migrant worker exodus. As an Overlander (road tripper) I felt the best use of my vehicle will be to be of help gift a life to them. I am planning to drive around the highways leading out of Bangalore in different directions and help make their journey easier by giving them some water, Biscuits for the road and some essential medicines to carry if they have infants with them. Of course I possibly cannot help all but I will do as much as my resources (financial and material) will permit. My cost is fuel and supplies (the things I aim to
Distribute)
Distribute)
I am looking for financial help in the following areas
A. Fuel
B. To purchase Parle G biscuits and similar
C. To by lots of dolo/crocin
D. To purchase 200ml water bottles that they can easily carry.
E. Footware donated or purchased
A. Fuel
B. To purchase Parle G biscuits and similar
C. To by lots of dolo/crocin
D. To purchase 200ml water bottles that they can easily carry.
E. Footware donated or purchased
The point is to make some part of their journey comfortable and hope others will help along the way. I am planning this today so your response will help me plan. All funds will be given to my registered trust GOLA Foundation although since it's only a year old has NO 80G.
If you want to buy the material directly and deliver it to me then that's ok too.
For those wanting to financially contribute to this in INDIA here are the bank details. Pls private message me if u have sent anything.
Account name: Gift Of Life Adventure Foundation
Account No: 2811955432
KOTAK BANK
Branch name: Sadashivnagar
IFSC code:KKBK0008060
Account No: 2811955432
KOTAK BANK
Branch name: Sadashivnagar
IFSC code:KKBK0008060
19 May, 2020
And he was on the road the next day!
And he was on the road the next day!
I am driving down the Bangalore Hyderabad highway to scout before I spend money. There are two points in Bangalore with hoards of migrants getting buses. So if the highways are not populated will go to the bus terminals and distribute for their journey.
https://www.facebook.com/10000
https://www.facebook.com/10000
20 May, 2020.
It was good to hear that no one was walking on this day!
It was good to hear that no one was walking on this day!
26 May, 2020..
We get to know more about the efforts necessary to reach people and the donations that needs to keep coming.
27 May, 2020
Day 10 #migrantworkerrelief 1500 people processed to travel to rajasthan. There was more food there today then necessary. Wish more went to help at the other centers farther away from central Bangalore like Jigni where a couple of hundred are waiting to go to Bihar.
28 May, 2020
We learn how uncertainties could create problems and things may go out of control. Tough situations can crop up out of nowhere.29 May, 2020 Day 12: What an organized setup this was at the station. Three cheers to the Labour Department and their young NSS volunteers and all of us. We saw off 2000 migrants with smiles, water food masks and a prayer for them.
2 June, 2020 Today three small NGOs came together and bought food and water for the departing #Guestworkers at the KPTO whitefield processing facility. Gave 1000 packets of tomato rice, water and masks.
There is a requirement of 3000 plus for tomorrow and all three of us are running short of funds. Please help if you can.
Three NGOs have come together to form an alliance to scale up the need for supplies to ensure the Guest workers leave our city with some relief to make their travel home that much more pleasant.
1. Encompass Sohini Bagchi Pavithra Sunder
2. Compassion in Action - Emmanuel and his band of boys
3. Gift of Life Adventure - #TeamGOLA
1. Encompass Sohini Bagchi Pavithra Sunder
2. Compassion in Action - Emmanuel and his band of boys
3. Gift of Life Adventure - #TeamGOLA
Today we are heading to Whitefield KTPO complex where we are told about 3000 will be processed to get on trains. Our 'Odisha' family will be going home today.
We are supporting them today with
We are supporting them today with
1)2000 veg pulavs
2)3000 water bottles, 1trs
3)1500 Puries and taplas
4)1000 roties pack(one pack will have 2 roties and a pick pack)
5)Buns - close to 300
6) 800 packs of ParleG
7) 700 masks only for those that dont have it. (RK Trust)
8) 3000 soap bars (Chabria Family)
2)3000 water bottles, 1trs
3)1500 Puries and taplas
4)1000 roties pack(one pack will have 2 roties and a pick pack)
5)Buns - close to 300
6) 800 packs of ParleG
7) 700 masks only for those that dont have it. (RK Trust)
8) 3000 soap bars (Chabria Family)
Your generous contributions help us scale up our relief work. Please donate generously. If all 5000 of my FB friends gave we could make a larger impact.
Donate to the GOLA trust.
4 June,2020
We heard about men and women guest workers heading back to Assam and were being processed about 26 kms away from us at a convention center. ..Some centers closer to the city including train stations are over supplied with food variety and water and biscuits while some like this one on kankapura road got nothing. We stepped up but not enough as we found out after arriving. .. We had enough... but not enough for them to carry on their long train journey back. ...We have committed to making the exodus of the guest worker journey now called #Migrantworker a little more pleasant with some supplies and kind words.
As I went around inside the waiting buses with anxious inhabitants to deliver masks we had a few laughs and spoke about the importance of the three magic words PLEASE SORRY AND THANK YOU. we quipped and laughed. I was sorry they had to leave. Thanked them for their service and asked them to please come back. They promised.
A day that started late but ended with a bang after sending off 1300 guest workers to Bihar and Jharkand. The inspector in charge of BIEC was a thorough gentleman and I hope his tribe increases. The sub inspector had an edge but we got along after a few words. The Satya Sai trust came in like the cavalry and fed all when they needed it the most while we showed up as hope just before their departure. We masked them with #Letsmaskindia we fed them with biscuits given generously by the #BalUtsav trust and water bought with #yourMoney donated to Gift of Life Adventure. I take the opportunity to speak to the youth in line as I give the mask with some soft skill lessons which surprisingly they appreciate. All in all. Collectively we made the journey better for the guest workers. A big high five to the police. All said the local cops put up an awesome humanitarian show. With the proverbial exceptions
5 June, 2020
Today was a good day as we got to serve the unserved. The main hall at the palace grounds were well stocked with food and water when we noticed about 400 plus people tucked away under a shaded area far from the site. We found they were hungry, thirsty and in despair about their chances of getting on a train today. Our presence saw them smile joke and interacting. It was satisfying that I was able to take the generosity of so many Donors like you to their life and make a small difference. They are a fun bunch who just want to be talked to and treated with respect and love.. even if its sometimes tough love. The police, when they heard that there were two pregnant ladies made to wait out in the sun outside the palace grounds once we brought it to their attention, immediately got them inside to made comfortable. That's heart you don't see often but exists.
Today we distributed biscuits, chocolates donated to us for distribution by the Bangalore Food Bank about 5000 of them and about 3000 masks give to us by RK Trust.
Once the biscuits and water was delivered, the roti rolls arrived by 4pm that Namrata Kanwar organized from Mitti Cafe. What makes this cafe so special is that the ladies who are employed here are differently abled and this crisis is providing them employment to feed the departing guest workers.
I got to speak to the 300 plus people about the broader points of Organ donation and some videos of this are included. The police finally objected to this saying my engaging them may create law and order problems for them which I just winced at but did not argue. I had a good run and finished most of my talk and was a battle not worth fighting over. The guest workers of course we having a great time listening and interacting and many came to thank me for keeping their mind at ease.
Jai Hind.
Gift of Life Adventure #Encompass and #CompassioniNaction
Jai Hind.
Gift of Life Adventure #Encompass and #CompassioniNaction
A glimpse of their daily activities
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| Wanted to post a video as well but my skills are not up to it! |
Comments
We don't get to hear much of these versions.