COVID - 19 Response

“I can face any difficulty that life throws at me but seeing my family yearning for a grain of food broke me.”

Wiping his tears, Shri Ram collected the dry ration kit which will help feed his family for 30-40 days.

Aged 40, Shri Ram is a resident of Rajendra Park, Gurugram. He has to look after his parents, wife and two children. Prior to the lockdown imposed due to the COVID – 19 pandemic, he used to earn INR 9,000 per month as a helper in a garment shop.

He lost his job with slim chances of getting another one soon as he has only studied till eighth standard. His savings could sustain him for only 30 days. His family had nothing to eat let alone other necessities.

Fortunately, Sri Ram was identified as a family in need by the assessment team and was asked to collect support in the form of dry ration. He reached the distribution center with a gloomy face, not knowing what this support will help him with. He was presented with a dry ration kit with enough food and other necessities which would last his family for approximately a month. Noticing the quality and quantity, he bowed down and touched the feet of the volunteer to show his respect.Ram felt at ease now, and one could see that he gained his confidence and self-esteem back. He quickly wanted to reach home and let his family know that they will sleep with full stomachs tonight.

Before parting, he said, “With kind gestures like these, my faith in humanity is restored. I felt

incompetent, but with this support, I am filled with newfound hope. At the first opportunity, I am planning to open a stall to sell fresh vegetables. Keep up the good work Coca Cola Foundation, CARE India and Anchal Charitable trust, may god bless you!”

During COVID – 19 crisis, Coca-Cola and CARE India provided dry-ration kits with meticulously curated food items to meet specific nutritional needs of various marginalised groups such as migrant workers, daily wage earners and people living with HIV/AIDS across various parts of the country. The three-month long programme benefited over 1.5 lakh people.

CARE India Team