by BISMumbai Correspondent

The Don Bosco Development Society [DBDS] Mumbai, which is the Province Planning and Development Office [PDO] initiated a COVID-19 Relief Outreach through its implementing partners DBDS Pune and DBDS Vadodara disbursing provision, toiletries and hygiene kits to slum dwellers in Pune and Vadodara respectively.

In both the cities, the DBDS implementing partners undertook a door-to-door delivery distribution over the last 03 days, after having previously identified the most needy in these fragile impoverished dwellings. As of now, 500 individuals have been reached out to in each city. The target distribution, as planned, is to reach out to 1500 individuals.

The relief outreach in Pune is facilitated thanks to financial aid from Manos Unidas Spain, while in Vadodara Mix-for-Kids Germany is funding the initiative. Father Richard D'Silva is overseeing the outreach in Pune with a team of volunteers, whereas in Vadodara, Father George Miranda is coordinating the outreach with Jagruti Patel, the field staff and a few volunteers.

The primary beneficiaries of these relief kits are widows, senior destitutes, and migrant labourers. Further efforts are underway to reach the remaining 1000 individuals in Pune and Vadodara respectively.