Actor Kunal Kapoor pitches in to help Mumbai's Dabbawalas

Mumbai's

Dabbawalas

have been there delivering dabbas to hungry office goers and others for over 130 years. However, that changed when the city come to a standstill due to the

COVID-19 pandemic

. As a result, this group of dedicated dabbawalas have also taken a financial hit. Taking note of this, actor Kunal Kapoor is lending support to a crowdfunding campaign to ensure that the dabbawalas have access to resources to survive the

COVID-19

crisis.

Ensuring the families of the dabbawalas don't go hungry
It all started when the

Mumbai Dabbawala Association

reached out to Chandreyi Jhunjhunwala, one of the campaigners for help, who is also associated with the JHUNSS 1 Foundation. She shares, "The COVID-19 crisis has led to all daily wagers losing their source of income, and one such group is the lifeline of Mumbai - The Dabbawalas. The

Dabbawala

Association is assisting us in identifying the affected families. Our team then ensures the ration reaches the family directly through their own local kirana stores. Digital India is helping our team in handling this entire process remotely - from preliminary verification to sourcing and to payments at multiple local destinations. This is how we are able to serve even in remote locations across Mumbai/MMR."
Kunal, who is also the co-founder of Ketto, shares, " The lockdown has been challenging for everyone, but especially difficult for daily wage workers. Our dabbawalas are known as the world's best food delivery system. They are the lifeline of our bustling city. And it's ironic that the people that make sure we get our food on time, need our help to keep their kitchens running. After speaking to the foundation and a few dabbawalas, we realised that they needed urgent help. Hence, we have backed this campaign to make sure that the dabbawalas and their families get the ration and the essentials they need."

Your contribution will go towards purchasing of ration kits comprising essential food items
Varun Sheth (CEO, co-founder Ketto) adds, “The iconic Mumbai Dabbawalas have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the subsequent lockdown. These are people who have been an integral part of the city for more than a century, yet today they are staring at starvation. That’s why we have collaborated with JHUNSS 1 Foundation and are fundraising to provide relief to the dabbawalas. The money raised will ensure that ration kits and monetary aid reaches the dabbawalas and their families so they can survive this crisis. Each ration kit will last three weeks and comprise of essential food items." For those keen on knowing how their money is being spent, will be glad to know that contributors can view live updates on total fund raised, key donors, links to Facebook and any updates about the campaign.

'Grateful for all the help we have received so far'
Kiran Gawande, General Secretary of the Mumbai Dabbawala Association says, "Chandreyi Jhunjhunwala, her team and her JHUNSS 1 Foundation has done such good work, and I am thankful to them for it. In this difficult time, she has reached out to the dabbawalas who really needed help, and has provided rations for them. I sincerely thank her from my heart. Also, due to the Coronavirus many of our dabbawalas were stuck in different parts of Mumbai. The foundation's core team has supported us and helped us. I thank them from the bottom of my heart for all their efforts."

The money raised will be used for the following :
1. Sufficient ration for approximately three weeks for each needy family
2. Ration kit for each family will include - 5 kg rice, 5 kg atta, 2 kg dal, 1 kg sugar, tea leaves,1 litre cooking oil, 1 rin Bar and 1 Dettol Soap
3. It will cost approx Rs 1,000 for each family
4. The money will directly be transferred to the kirana stores, in most cases, from where the dabbawala will pick his ration
5. The team will verify each dabbawala's request from the Mumbai Dabbawala Association or their representative