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HT Salutes: Caterer in Mumbai distributes 2,000 meals daily to the needy
Bandra-resident Ashfaaq Shaikh has been distributing the meals in areas around Bandra and Khar
One silver lining of the lockdown has been that the city has found many good Samaritans. A Mumbai-based caterer, who until March was supplying food for major events, started organising and distributing food for the needy in Mumbai. Bandra-resident Ashfaaq Shaikh has been distributing 1,800-2,000 meals every day in areas around Bandra, including Behrampada and in Khar Danda.
“When the lockdown was announced, we were quite devastated, considering the losses we will face,” said Shaikh, who founded his catering business in 2015.
“I thought about the countless others who would have lost their jobs. So I got in touch with my family and friends and started arranging for meals,” he said.
Shaikh’s team prepares meals like dal-rice, rajma-rice, khichdi, veg pulao and egg-biryani, which they then distribute among the needy.
Shaikh has also volunteered with Khaana Chahiye, a city-based initiative that has been providing food for migrant workers, the homeless and underprivileged residents of the city.
Shaikh said, “With the Khaana Chahiye team, we used to distribute close to 800-1,000 food packets in Mahim, Bandra, Vile Parle and Juhu.”
Led by the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Project Mumbai and the Litmus Test Project collective, Khaana Chahiye began its activities on March 29 and has distributed 37 lakh meals so far.
Chief executive officer (CEO) of Project Mumbai, Shishir Joshi said, “With Khaana Chahiye, we grew a strong volunteer base of 150 people from diverse sectors who came out to help. We also created a map where people who could fill in details about those who needed help.
