1000+ Essential Grocery Packs

One of the most basic of human needs is sustenance and when things go wrong, one of the first things we do is to ensure food security, which is exactly what caused the mass buying and hoarding of food as lockdowns were announced all across the world due to COVID-19. Some were left desperate as shelves rapidly emptied in supermarkets and there were fewer and fewer things left to buy. What is even more heartbreaking is that still more were left desperate because they did not have enough money to stock up, and buy extra stocks of food because they were already struggling just to afford their next meal

COVID-19 affects everyone, yet it hits the poorest and most vulnerable communities the hardest, deepening existing inequalities. 70% of Sri Lanka’s population lives in rural areas and the Coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on their lives. Many of these people are daily wage earners, who lost their only source of income due to the lockdown and the downturn of the economy. They also had no savings to tide them through a rough few months as they depended on a daily wage. The situation was bleak for many.

Therefore, FoG took the initiative to facilitate the provision of more than 1500 essential grocery supplies, benefiting more than 6000 rural Sri Lankans! Our biggest supporter in this endeavour was heart specialist Dr. Kushwin Rajamani from Perth, Australia. He led a campaign to provide essential grocery items to those in trying circumstances in Sri Lanka for 3 months and has stayed true to his pledge.

In an incredible act of generosity and kindness, Dr. Kushwin Rajamani ensured the provision of more than 1000 essential grocery packs to struggling families all across the island, in the North, South and East of Sri Lanka. Each pack contains 5 essential grocery items which will help a family of 4 to survive for a month! Valued between AUD 18 and 20 this is, as Dr. Rajmani poignantly noted, just the cost of a few burgers.

The distribution in the East of Sri Lanka, in Kattankudy, went towards many people living below the poverty line. The distribution, facilitated by the Harmony Centre and FoG, was done by the Mosque Federation, who selected those who were the most in need. The essential groceries bring much needed and timely relief to the community, who are preparing to mark Eid al-Adha, a Muslim religious festival, on the 1st of August. 

As the Coronavirus raises its head again in Sri Lanka, we hope to keep providing the worst affected families with essential grocery supplies. We have launched the FoG face masks, where all proceeds will go towards providing essential grocery supplies. If you would like to contribute and help someone struggling during this pandemic please contact Rashmini at rashmini@foguc.org. 

We salute Dr. Kushwin Rajamani for his timely and generous support.  

(photos of beneficiaries are not included to safeguard their privacy but all donors are kept updated of the distributions)