Kachhwa Christian Hospital, Kachhwa, Uttar Pradesh, North Central India

“Today we are surrounded by fear and panic, and most of the world is trying to see how they can keep themselves safe. But we have a responsibility to the community around us; to love our neighbors. Especially the poor and marginalized, amongst whom are those most affected.

At Kachhwa Christian Hospital, we are surrounded by a destitute community called the “Musahar.” Traditionally a rat-eating community, they are at the lowest strata of society. During normal circumstances, they go without food if the men miss a couple days’ work.

The sudden lockdown means that the men have no work to do and as a result, no money to buy daily provisions. So this was the first group of people who came to mind when we decided to help others in need. We decided to give 100 families grocery packs containing 22 lbs. of Atta flour, 22 lbs. of rice, 1 liter of oil, 4 lbs. of lentils, 2 lbs. of salt, and 4 lbs. of potatoes. Through friends and well-wishers, we were able to raise the funds required within a day.

On day three of the lockdown, we visited the Musahar district and invited the station officer of the local police station to be part of the distribution. He came with his team, and we found that most of the families only had a few potatoes to eat that they had scrounged from already harvested fields. As we met with the families, we said a short prayer, thanking God for His provision and for His love for the Musahars.

We plan to continue supplying these families with food until the lockdown ends. We trust God to provide adequate resources for this work.”

~ Mr. Shankar Ramachandran, Senior Administrative Officer