Dharavi’s residents struggle to fight hunger

MUMBAI: Besieged by Covid-19 infections, financially struck low by the lockdown and turned a containment zone, the people of Asia’s largest slum are now struggling to keep hunger at bay.

Home to at least quarter of a million residents across communities, Dharavi houses thousands of small-scale businesses and entrepreneur. Within a month of recording its first case on April 1, the number of positive cases had increased to 407; by May 6 the total number of cases in Dharavi was 733, with 21 deaths reported.

In the face of such adversity, a group of 10 young men -- all residents of Dharavi-are trying to make sure that people do not go hungry. The group, which calls itself Dharavi Boys on social media, consists of college students who pooled money to support a handful of families in dire need. Soon, donations began to pour in, and two days ago, they set up a Feed Dharavi campaign on crowdfunding site, Ketto. Till date, they have been able to support at least 100 families. They have their own Twitter handle: @DharaviBoys.

Stanley Anto, a social worker based in Navi Mumbai, offered support to the group; they also released a poster: “For as little as ₹1,720, you can help us provide at least a month’s supply of food rations to a needy family.”

Less than a week old, the feed regularly posts the contributions it has received, as well as the food rations it has distributed till now.

“We began this #feedDharavi campaign because when we saw families around us struggling, we just couldn’t sit back and watch,” their twitter feed read on May 4. “As young students, we thought of doing something for people from our own locality,” said Vikas Jaiswar, a 24-year-old who graduated with an engineering degree from a Navi Mumbai college last year.