When the country enforced a blanket lockdown to check the spread of Covid-19, a large section of people were pushed to the brink of hunger crisis. One of the worst hit were destitute, daily wage labourers, migrants and many who make the floating population. But a timely intervention by the Kerala Government made sure these vulnerable sections were not left starving.
Rising to the occasion, the Kerala government set up 1,255 kitchens in 14 districts in the state and distributed food packets to the needy. Community kitchen, as the kind gesture was named, gave away up to 3 lakh food packets a day, saving hundreds of people who were in danger of starvation during lockdown.
A first of its kind initiative, the scheme was aimed at keeping everyone in the state hunger-free and was implemented through the local bodies of Kerala, with Ernakulam, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur districts receiving the most number of kitchens.
The free food packets were served largely to the vulnerable sections such as the migrant labourers, homeless people living on the streets, destitutes who have been rehabilitated under Ashraya integrated projects, and families which were tapped out after lockdown ended their livelihoods.
The state's local self-governing bodies oversee the operations of the scheme in coordination with the members of Kudumbashree. Cooperative societies and voluntary organisations were also made part of the all-Kerala mission, and their volunteers called the Arogya Sena (Health Army) operate via WhatsApp groups.
Besides Community Kitchens, opening more Janakeeya Restaurants, Kudumbashree started providing more number of meals at cost of Rs 25, a pack of which contained rice, two side-dishes and a pickle, and are home-delivered on booking. The community kitchens also make breakfast and supper and serve them for price between Rs 20 and 30 a plate.
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