By: Francis de Melo, SJ

 

St. Xavier’s College has sent 1000 food packets, each sufficient for a family of 5 for about 8 days.   Each food packet contains    3kg rice,   1 kg tur dal,   1 kg sugar,   1 lt oil,   250 gm tea. Total cost approx Rs 5,00,000/-.  

The food packets have been sent to Dharavi in central Mumbai (one of the largest slums in Asia), where there are about 56,000 families of daily wagers who are desperate:  no work, no food.  The food was sent through the Asst. Municipal Commissioner, Mr. Kiran Dighavkar (an SXC alumnus).  SXC has similarly sent another 500 food packets, each sufficient for a family of 5 for about 8 days. These were sent through our Prof. Swapnil Bagwe to the Urja Foundation which works in the slums at Reay Road.  Total cost approx Rs 2,50,000/-.  

SXC has also sent 2000 plastic visors and 100 PPE’s for the police.  These were sent through the Additional Commissioner of Police, Mr. S. Jaykumar.

SXC has also sent Rs.30,000/- to Maharashtra Prabhodhan Seva Mandal at Nashik  to help in relief work for migrants being done by Jesuits there.  We are also contributing to the  PM Cares fund and the Chief Minister’s fund.

St. Xavier’s College has started a phone-based Helpline for our students who feel  distressed by the uncertainties of this corona lockdown.  It   provides counsellors and teachers who ready to talk to them and help them change from feelings of confusion and helplessness to a positive way of handling the situation.  We have 6 professional counsellors, 23 SXC faculty and 6 Jesuit Fathers who are available to do this.  The Times of India April 15 highlighted this, including giving how to access the Helpline: go to www.wellness.xaviers.edu and click on “Corona HELPLINE”.

For our students and staff who later would like to help, we are planning the collection and distribution of food and other items. For details (when the lockdown allows some movement) go to   wellness.xaviers.edu and click on  “Xavier’s coronAID”.