This Article is From Mar 28, 2020

Kerala's Solution For Food Needs Amid Lockdown: 1,000 Community Kitchens

Over 748 of these are already functional and more than 300 will come up in upcoming days.

The community kitchen set up at the school building in Thiruvananthapuram.

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala:

Chandrika, 62, is a designated cook for the mid-day meals served for children at one of the schools in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram but today she is cooking 30 kgs of cabbage as a volunteer for around 300 people at her school.

She is joined by teachers, local body workers, civilians - all volunteering for the special purpose - to prepare food for people who need it for free.

The kitchen set up at the school building in Thiruvananthapuram is a part of over thousand community kitchens to be set up in Kerala's every panchayat.

The kitchens are a part of the state government's initiative to deliver food for free at people's doorstep.

Over 748 of these are already functional and more than 300 will come up in upcoming days.

These meals cooked thrice a day and delivered hot by government workers and volunteers.

The lunch packets today at this centre consists of rice, rasam, cabbage and mango pickle.

The demand is heavy and ever-rising.

"This is our second day. We have orders for 300 lunch, and 600 for dinner today," Revenue inspector Suresh told NDTV.

"Every minute the calls regarding the  food deliveries have been increasing. it's only then we realise that so many people were in need of these packets," said Suneetha GS, a teacher, volunteering her services at the community kitchen said.

While anyone can order food, the priority is given to people who are elderly, vulnerable, sick, in isolation or can't manage to cook for themselves, Mr Suresh said.

He said that a lot of people are offering help, however, they are cautious about taking the help due to the spread of the virus.

The community kitchens and delivery services has turned out as an effective solution to people's need in this time of emergency, at the same time, it sets up an example of people's collective conscience their duty for the society in testing times.

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