By Verghese V Joseph –
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa thanked St. Joseph’s Group of Institutions for responding to the challenges faced by poor people in Bengaluru – particularly the daily wage earners and migrant workers — during the lock-down brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a letter addressed to the Provincial, Karnataka Jesuit Educational Society, the Chief Minister said, “The Government of Karnataka acknowledges the efforts put in by the institutions in mobilizing material and volunteers to ensure that food and relief materials were delivered to more than 43,000 families of the most needy and underprivileged in the state. We convey our gratitude for the support rendered by your institutions”.
“Joining hands with people of goodwill we began to contribute our mite to ease the pain and suffering of people of Bengaluru and Mangaluru, Mundgod and Manvi, Vijayapura, Hassan and Harihar,” said Rev. Fr. Jerome Stanislaus D’Souza, SJ, Provincial, Karnataka Jesuit Educational Society.
Fr. D’Souza further said, “St Joseph’s institutions, Bengaluru along with their staff and students, alumni and alumnae, benefactors and well-wishers, government and non-governmental agencies were able to supply about 76,500 food kits to the afflicted in Bengaluru urban and rural districts. Along with food, we also offered accompaniment with counselling. We have focussed primarily on the migrant workers, landless labourers and daily wage earners who are the hardest hit in India.”
The institutions that are involved in the relief measures are St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous), ST Joseph’s College Alumni/Alumnae Association, XLRI Jamshedpur Alumni/Alumnae Association, Mount ST. Joseph, ST. Xavier College, Kolkata Alumni Association – Southern Chapter, St. Joseph’s Indian Institutions Alumni Association, St. Joseph’s College of Commerce Alumni/Alumnae Association. St. Joseph’s Boys High School Alumni/Alumnae Association.
The deadly Covid-19 pandemic caused unprecedented losses to the community all over the world. In India, due to strict measures initiated by Government of India, the pandemic could be contained to a large extent, so far. Karnataka, in particular, could deal with the problem effectively due to the government measures and great support from local organisations and institutions.
The whole initiative to feed the poor was started by Saraswathi Padmanabha, founder Diya Ghar, a school run for children of migrant workers and she was worried about what would happen to the nourishment of the children and people during the lock-down period.
When this concern was brought to the notice of Fr. Francis Guntipally, SJ who in turn asked St. Joseph’s institutions if their premises could be used for relief work. Fr Victor Lobo, SJ, Principal of the institution readily offered his premises to distribute food kits. So Diya Ghar along with XLRI Alumni Association (Bangalore) and in coordination with St. Joseph’s Group of Institutions joined hands and quickly set up an operations hub at the college premises.
NGOs like Seed India Foundation, Azim Premji Foundation, Rotary Club, religious institutions such as FSI Convent and philanthropists and individuals from across the world have come forward to support the initiative.
The sheer number of people involved speak volume of the effort involved in this initiative to feed the poor during these trying times.