by BISMumbai Correspondent

Mumbai Salesians’ Province Planing and Development Office [PDO], the Don Bosco Development Society Mumbai continues to sustain its COVID-19 Outreach to the most impoverished needy in Mumbai and Pune.

In Mumbai, over the course of the week preceding, DBDS distributed cookie-cakes [chunky choco-chips in a moist rich cake with choco drizzle] and nutri-biscuits [honey-toasted] to the women and children living in the fragile slum environs of Sion-Koliwada, Antop Hill, Wadala King’s Circle and other poorer settlements. DBDS also distributed these cookie-cakes and biscuits to the children and young-people in 02 orphan-shelter homes. The main aim of this outreach, as in earlier food-provision outreaches, was to provide the suffering marginalised with nutritious sustenance. In Pune, the DBDS Mumbai through its implementing partner at Don Bosco Youth Centre Koregaon Road Pune distributed these nutritious snacks to the stranded migrants on the city streets. Father Richard D’Silva coordinated the Pune outreach, with his team of volunteers. Executive Director DBDS Mumbai - Father Rolvin D’mello extended his gratitude to The General Mills India Pvt. Ltd. for the generous donation of large quantities of Pillsbury cookie-cakes and nutri-biscuits for distribution in Pune and Mumbai.

Over the course of the last week, in Pune, DBDS initiated an outreach to the most vulnerable categories, generally overlooked. In a joint COVID-19 outreach collaboration with AXA Business Services, DBDS is reaching out to 3,000 poor needy in the slums of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. A 01-month food-ration, toiletries and hygiene kits are distributed to the most vulnerable marginalised - commercial sex workers, transgenders, widows, and the like. On Day 01, 55 relief kits were distributed in Pimpri-Chinchwad. On Day 02, 45 relief kits were distributed to widows. Father Lester Fernandes and Sachin Auchare oversaw and coordinated the relief outreach. Father D’mello thanked AXA Business Services for financing this outreach in Pune/Pimpri-Chinchwad.