Project Zero Hunger: JCI Inspire feeds the needy amid lockdown

Team Udayavani, May 5, 2021, 1:50 PM IST

With the second wave of COVID-19 hitting the country, people losing their lives to the virus, we can’t negate that many people are left homeless and others are dying with hunger.

It is nothing new to know that our country still faces hunger issues but with COVID, the situation has worsened.

Being one of the world’s largest food producers, ironically India is also home to the largest population of hungry people and one-third of the world’s malnourished children.

The Global Hunger Index ranks India 102nd among 117 countries. Reports state that some 196 million people are undernourished and malnutrition being the top cause of death and disability.

In Mangaluru, the JCI Inspire has been attempting to do its part to feed the needy in the pandemic. Their project Zero hunger aims to end hunger. Their motto is ‘If you think it, you can do it.’

The project Zero Hunger was launched, in February, with the idea of feeding those who are away from home and residing in bus-stands and Railway stations once a month. However since the lockdown was imposed in Karnataka, the group has been feeding the homeless on a daily basis for the last few days.

So far they have fed around 350-400 people, ones who are away from home and are residing in public places.

Udayavani.com spoke to Sarika Avinash, Founder President JCI Mangalore INSPIRE, who informed us that they are further working to reach the needy and feed them.

Talking about their upcoming project, Sarika said that they plan to work on E-waste management which aims to collect e-waste articles such as batteries and phone chargers from common people and in return provide them with a redeemable coupon.

Apart from this, in the last few months, Sarika and her team members have conducted Covid 19 awareness campaigns, Free mask distribution and have also undertaken beach cleaning drives on a monthly basis. The team has also hosted many beach clean-up drives but due to the lockdown these projects have been paused but once the lockdown is lifted the team aims to continue with their cleanliness-related projects.