At Alumpeedika Junction in Kollam stands a fully stocked almirah with no keys. It has meal packets, water, and a range of snacks easily accessible to the hungry and the needy.
Bhakshana Alamara, an initiative of the auto-taxi collective of the area, currently feeds several persons in and around the area every day. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, we used to deliver food from a community kitchen to those in need. That time we realised that many people are in need of proper meals and we started off by collecting provisions for the community kitchen. The almirah was installed in 2021 and at present so many people from nearby areas depend on it,” says Anil Pulikkasseri, president of the collective.
The collective has less than 20 members. The autorickshaw-taxi workers started the initiative at a time when they too were struggling to bounce back after the COVID-19 lull. “Initially we were slightly doubtful about sustaining it, but the kind of public support we garnered was incredible,” he adds.
65 lunch packets
While the collective ensures 50 lunch packets a day, around 15 packets arrive from nearby homes. The idea is to provide one wholesome meal a day while bread, biscuits and soft drinks are also available.
“Since the almirah is near our stand one of us will always be there. There are around 30 regulars while children returning from school also take biscuits and soft drinks. We only intervene when drunkards or miscreants try to misuse the facility,” he adds.
The fund is mainly through sponsorship and if there is shortage, the drivers pool in money to ensure that the almirah is full. “Apart from the poor, elderly people who can’t cook or are neglected by their family also depend on the almirah,” adds Anil.
Feasts too
The almirah provides not just regular meals, but feasts too. “During Onam we placed sadya boxes with three payasams for four days. For other festivals like Id and Christmas too the menu was different,” says Sonu, autorickshaw driver and the secretary of the collective. Every day the meal packets will be placed inside the almirah around 1 p.m. and within a couple of hours they will be taken.
“There are people who wait for the meal packets and even when the packets are over, they can take other items. Public support is an important factor that made this initiative a success. A lot of people are contributing and they include homemakers and daily wage workers,” adds Sonu.
