by Father George D'abreo for BISMumbai

The Bosco Gramin Vikas Kendra [BGVK] at Ahmednagar has reached out to 11, 335 people during the COVID-19 lockdown. Even as confusion persists over the ease of lockdown and calibrated monitoring and treatment of rising cases, the availability of food-rations for the common man has proved difficult.

BGVK undertook a relief outreach in the villages of Ahmednagar distributing food kits for 20 days to 1,091 families and 6,010 individuals. It also ensured that the PDS Scheme announced during the COVID-19 lockdown was made accessible to the villagers, enabling 1,050 families and 5,040 individuals to benefit from the available schemes. In addition, BGVK Campus at Khedgaon Ahmednagar was made available to the Ahmednagar District ADministration to shelter 55 migrants stranded on the way to Uttar PRadesh since 30 March. Likewise, food-snacks were provided to 230 stranded individuals.

The BGVK outreach was made possible through generous funding from the Maschio Memorial Foundation [MMF], Don Bosco Development Society Mumbai [DBDS] - the Mumbai Salesians' Province Planning and Development Office [PDO], the Carmelite Nuns and other large-hearted donor-wellwishers.