UAE: Indian community organises meals, jobs for Covid-hit workers back home

Dubai - GMBF has over 300 members across the GCC, and majority of them are in the UAE.

A group of business owners in Dubai is helping out daily wage workers who have been hit by the Covid crisis in India, giving them food and offering employment opportunities.

The Gulf Maharashtra Business Forum (GMBF) has launched the grassroots initiative in partnership with non-government organisations in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, the main target of the group’s efforts.

“A number of daily wage earners who have been living from hand to mouth are now deprived of their two meals a day during the lockdown back home,” explained Prasad Datar, businessman and member of GMBF executive committee. Small, home-based businesses, street food vendors and small restaurants and kitchens are also severely affected.

“We are connecting these two hard-hit segments with the help of on-ground support. We are paying small kitchens and home-based food businesses to supply food to daily wage earners. We are also providing daily wage earners with small and temporary jobs in these areas,” added Datar.

GMBF has over 300 members across the GCC, and the majority of them are in the UAE. It has pledged over 20,000 meals to a few cities in Maharashtra.

“So far, our efforts are concentrated in Pune city, Chiplun, and now we have extended the efforts to Solapur as well,” said Rahul Tulpule, another member of the group.

In Pune, Datar is spearheading the initiative in association with NGO Annapoorna run by Dr Manisha and Abhijeet Sonavane.

“The doctor couple have been active in serving the community during these difficult times. Fresh meals are being procured from homemakers and they are being supplied to daily wage workers who have lost jobs,” said Datar.

In Chiplun, the group is working with the Helping Hands NGO, and in Solapur, it has tied up with Dyan Prabodhini.