Noble initiative by WIM during lockdown sustains 5,800 hungry people in Colombo

Women in Management (WIM) Chairperson Dr. Sulochana Segera initiated the Free Breakfast Kitchen in March 2021 to provide a wholesome breakfast for people from low-income groups in Colombo. The objective is providing breakfast to poor people to improve their immunity and physical strength to do their daily work.

When the country went into lockdown in June, many daily wage earners lost their earnings. Moreover, many on the street were left without food and people living in isolated areas had no money to feed their children. WIM, with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Police, fed 3,300 people daily during the month of June. The stray dogs were not forgotten either and were fed too. 

Commenting on the initiative and the work carried out by WIM during the lockdown in June, Dr. Segera said, “We are a people with a reputation for being generous. It is this generosity that helped us to feed the needy because our own people gladly contributed to this program. But my experience from this exercise is not a rosy story. Many in the street are elderly people who are mostly men. They are being abandoned on the road by their children. Some were well-educated, but were now too old to work. During heavy rain in June those homeless elderly had no shelter or a place to sleep. This was further aggravated by the COVID pandemic as they were not allowed to remain on the street. It is sad that a country that speaks loftily of its culture and values has forgotten its fundamental moral of taking care of the elderly.”

The Free Breakfast Kitchen operates on Tuesday and Thursday where 100 people are fed on each day. It was started with an open buffet, but due to the present situation, the kitchen is providing a packed meal instead. In the process, WIM has empowered three women who are in charge of the kitchen, while WIM is providing employment to four women through this initiative. 

Dr. Segera further said, “From March to July 1st 2021 we have fed nearly 5,800 people. We mobilise our kitchen to ensure that we provide a nutritious meal to people truly in need. Many living in shanty dwellings in Colombo are hardly used to eating breakfast and on top of that they do not wake up in the morning. Many elderly people have only tea, and that too is in order to take their medicines in the morning. And schoolchildren hardly eat breakfast, although many of them buy something small from the mobile bakery – the ‘Choon Pan’ trishaw. The lifestyle of these people contributes to the spread of COVID. There are many who are unemployed and addicted to drugs, resulting in an increase in incidence of domestic violence and teenage pregnancies.” 

She further added that through this kitchen, WIM has been able to help many women and children with counselling. Creating awareness among the youth on the importance of education to come out of their present situation is also an achievement.

Apart from operating the Free Breakfast Kitchen, WIM has been distributing dry rations to pregnant women to ensure their health and safety. WIM Administrator Nilam Samsudeen said, “We have received many requests to extend this service outside Colombo, but due to the restrictions to movement, we have not been able to provide our service to those in the suburbs. Our main issue is the lack of a permanent place to feed people, which would allow youth and children to walk in and have a meal without any hindrance.”

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