Good Samaritans extend helping hand to Jamshedpur residents

Jamshedpur, Feb 24: As the second Covid-19 wave wreaked havoc in Jamshedpur, many Samaritans came forward to help society by providing food and essentials to the needy.

Amidst waning third wave hundred-thousand people in the city are enduring abject poverty and consequent unmitigated food insecurity. Keeping this in mind Rotary Club of Jamshedpur West with an aim to eradicate hunger among beggars, poor and homeless families living on the streets has started ‘Rotary Rasoi’.

“It has been observed that many poor families, particularly children in Jamshedpur, are resorting to begging and out of sympathy people do give them some money. It has been also reported that money collected is misused and does not meet the purpose. In order to address this situation and to ensure that poor and homeless specially children, oldies and disabled etc are not forced to sleep empty stomach and get food instead of money we have started a pilot project,” said Rajesh Kumar, President, Rotary Club of Jamshedpur West.

The initiative ‘Rotary Rasoi’ tries to eliminate hunger in the city by providing food coupons to the poor.

“A pilot project has been started with 5 food carts / hotel in Bistupur, Adityapur and near MTMH Cancer Hospital where large population of needy, poor and homeless are spotted, said Rajesh Kumar, adding, “the food carts / hotel will have banner of Rotary Rasoi and Rotarians and their friends will distribute coupons whose value is Rs 30 to the needy person, who can visit these food carts and have meal for that amount. On the coupon, there will be phone numbers printed, so that if a person finds it difficult to get food through the coupon, then he or she can give feedback to the Rotarian.

Five food carts / hotel part of the pilot project are-Raju ka ‘thela’ (South Indian snack) near Chappan Bhog Bistupur, Gokul stall near MTMH Cancer Hospital, Santosh Paratha near Gujarati Sanatan Samaj in Bistupur, Gopan Mahato near Meditirina Hospital, Adityapur and Bhojpur Hotel opposite Reliance Fresh outlet in Adityapur.

“We have started the project on an experimental basis and plan to reach out to the maximum poor and needy population in the city who are forced to live without food for days. Soon we will tie up more street food vendors and outlets around Jamshedpur to feed many homeless destitute, senior citizens, migrant workers living on streets, railway stations and bus stops,” informed Rotarian Mithiesh Jha.  

He further said that these coupons purchased by Rotary members are distributed among underprivileged with the motto “Feed the needy”

The Pilot project was launched on Rotary Day (February 23) near Chappan Bhog, Bistupur and MTMH Hospital canteen by  Rotary District Governor Pratim Banerjee and First Lady Suchinda Banerjee in presence of President of Rotary Club of Jamshedpur West Rajesh Kumar, Secretary  Neeta Agarwal, Reeta Jha, Past President Anjani Nidhi, Asst Governor Alokananda Baskhi, Sangeeta Jha, Shweta Chand, Mithiesh Jha, MTMH Director Dr Sujata Mitra and other club members.