Distribution of grocery and other essentials to 120 families at Hariharpur, near Baruipur, WB on May 1, 2020 :

Uddyom had sent out a call for contributions, to the world in the middle of April, to provide a sliver of relief to people who have been hit hard by the lockdown. With the tremendous response from well-wishers and fellow empathisers, we decided to carry out the first such endeavour on May 1, 2020.

A team of Uddyomis swung into action and started procuring all the stuff that we felt were necessary for the people under pressure. Other than the standard rice, dal, cooking oil and vegetables, it was decided that items of personal hygiene were essential. And also, some cash for contingencies. Our intended area of activity was a village called Hariharpur, near Baruipur (South 24 Parganas), some 25 km from Kolkata. This group of individuals confronted an uncertain public health environment and handed over all those materials to around 120 families from in and around Hariharpur. This was the first modest step to help mitigate the hardship that these people are living with. However, we know that Uddyom is not even scraping the tip of the hardship iceberg. As a result, we intend to do a follow-up distribution of similar items in a fortnight so that the sustenance can be sustained. There are also plans to suggest alternate avenues of livelihood to our unfortunate fellow-citizens. We shall update you on these programmes as and when they come to fruition.