Kota family opens up its kitchen to the needy amid lockdown

Richa and her mother-in-law are busy cooking food for nearly 400 needy people, while her husband and father-in-law are making arrangements for packaging and distribution.

This has been a regular day scene for the Jain family of Kota's Dadabari area since March 22, when the 'junta curfew' was announced and Richa decided to put the idea of helping the needy before her family.

A post graduate in social work, Richa thought of doing her bit after hearing about so many people going hungry due to the lockdown.

She asked her family if they could start feeding the needy with the money saved for the big party they had planned on her daughter's fourth birthday.

Her husband Chanchal Jain, an insurance officer, mother-in-law Gayatri Jain and father-in-law Pawan Jain welcomed the idea and the family decided that every day the ladies would cook food while the men would take care of arranging ration, packing meals and distribution.

As the news spread about Ghar ki Rasoi' (home kitchen), name Richa gave to the initiative, serving food to people in slum areas, many Samaritans came forward and started contributing to keep the kitchen running.

As we started cooking food at home and distributing meal packets among the needy at CAD circle and other slum areas of the city, help started pouring in with handsome contribution for the continuity of food distribution from 'Ghar Ki Rasoi', Richa said.

I and my mother-in-law cook the food while my husband and father-in-law make the packets and distribute them among the needy, she said, claiming they distribute nearly 400 meal packets every day.

Many people and groups, including the Kota Super Moms headed by Kritika Shringi and Abhilesha Club of women and also some neighbours, have come forward with funds for the Ghar Ki Rasoi' to strengthen the mission of helping people in these difficult times, Richa said.

The food packets were also being distributed to coaching students stuck in hostels and PGs due to the lockdown but most of them have now left for their native places, she said.

We are also supplying free food packets on call and if required dry ration bags are also given to the needy people, Richa said.

She said 35-40 food packets from the Ghar ki Rasoi' are also being sent for patients in Bharat Vikas Parishad hospital in the morning and evening.

We had planned a big party on the fourth birthday of my daughter Khiyati on April 30 but it did not seem possible due to the lockdown and my wife proposed to use the money saved for the party for this noble cause, Richa's husband, Chanchal Jain, said.

He said Richa started the 'Ghar Ki Rasoi' and all family members helped her.

Chanchal said he distributes food packets among the needy and his father helps him in packaging.

This service to the people has given us a great satisfaction, Chanchal added.