by Anthony Mascarenhas with Father Wilfred D'Souza for BISMumbai

Since March 2020, teaming up with Feed My Mumbai, the Dominic Savio Andheri Alumni [Past-Pupils] unit has fed daily wage earners, living under the Western Express Highway. In collaboration with the Canossian Daughters of Charity-Servants of the Poor [Andheri Unit], the alumni distributed rations to HIV patients sponsored by Khaana Chahiye, a ground-up not-for-profit citizen movement, that strives to fight hunger, and likewise in Goa through Tracelink. A sponsor from the UK enabled the alumni to assist the Society Of Sisters Of Our Lady Of Fatima [Fatima Mata Sadan] in providing food for the underprivileged. As word spread financial support and volunteers, helped scale up the outreach mission outside Mumbai. Thus, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kolkata, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Assam, and several other states, across India were covered.

For 06-08 months, the Dominic Savio Andheri Alumni Unit served around 35 lakh meals. During the migrant exodus volunteers at 03 railway stations served those travelling by around 270 trains. In 2021, 20K grocery kits each worth Rs. 800 that could sustain a family for several days, were distributed. This was made possible, as corporates like Tracelink India, Book My Show, Nestle, UPS Foundation, CRISIL Foundation, Colgate India, Marico, General Mills, Khaana Chahiye, Akshaya Patra, KVN Foundation, Ratnanidhi, partnered with the DSA Alumni Unit for the past 02 years, since the initial days of the COVID-19.

The DSA Alumni Unit's current focus is: To provide oxygen cylinders and concentrators at a pan-India level, and already 15 micro oxygen centres, have been setu, teaming up with Hemkunt Foundation for mission Breath India. The next mission is to help vaccinate over 1000+ underprivileged, free of cost, in collaboration with a Korean MNC MIRAE Asset Foundation. Further, the DSA Alumni Unit is all set and prepared for the anticipated 03 wave, to reach out to many more, as possible.