Andhra Pradesh: Tenali Family Spent Rs 2 Crore To Feed 6 Lakh People For 120 Days During Lockdown

In a heartwarming gesture, Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekhara Guru Paduka Peetam and Sri Ramayana Navahnika Yagna Trust in Tenali have set an example by feeding around six lakh people in 120 days during the lockdown at an estimated cost of ₹2 crore.

The trust was established 27 years ago by Vishnubhatla Anjaneya Chayanulu. His objective from the beginning was to empower the poor by helping them through the trust. Since its inception, many students have received a merit scholarship.

After the imposition of nationwide lockdown in March, Vishnubhatla decided to take a step further to ease the life of people during such an uncertain time. So, he started feeding poor people in his town who had lost their livelihood because of the pandemic. Initially, his family cooked 50Kg of food on March 23 and gave it to poor people in the slum areas of the town.

But he wasn't satisfied with the magnitude of people he was able to reach. He wanted to do more for all the poor families, and he felt that this much food wasn't sufficient for them. So, he and his brother went to different parts of the town and made a list of 15 areas where approximately 6,000 people had lost their jobs due to COVID-19 pandemic and were suffering from hunger because of it.

After conducting their survey, the brothers expanded their service. They roped in more people in the team from their known acquaintances and tasked them to do different groundworks such as arranging staff, raw materials, capital, utensils etc. But the outcome was still limited because people feared COVID-19.

During this time, they came across a few local chefs who were looking for work. So, they engaged them, provided them with a job and paid their salaries which acted as a lifeline for them. They then distributed food in their surveyed localities.

The impact they created can be truly seen in the numbers - They distributed 400 kgs of sambar and vegetable curries and 1000 Kg rice, food which filled the stomach of 8,000 to 10,000 individuals every day. The quality control was also maintained, and hygiene and all COVID-19 precautions such as wearing masks and social distancing were followed.

The daily expense to conduct such an operation cost him ₹1 Lakh for transport and staff alone. The whole program was carried on for 62 days, and till then they utilized their own funds for it. Later, as their efforts gained attention, film director Harish and some local politicians also contributed to the cause. Soon after, many more people from around the country chipped in.

As reported by The New Indian Express, with the new help that their program received, they continued it for 120 days. He says that their family members feel proud of the help they have provided to those in need. They get love and respect from all the people they have helped, wherever they go. Now, they are planning to create a mineral water factory and "Chandrasekhara Guru Paduka Peetam Nityannadana Bhavanam" aiming to provide water and food to people who need them every day.

During the 120 days that they operated, a total of 6 lakh people were fed, and the total expense came to around ₹2 crore. Their program is still going on, but its scale has now reduced as the lockdown has been lifted.

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