In these times of uncertainty as we face a global pandemic, coming together to help is essential for the health, well-being and stability of our local communities. Some of these communities need our help more than ever and although it may seem overwhelming at first, there are plenty of ways to provide support, funds or even a helping hand in these trying times.
Ali Hassan, a LUMS undergraduate student from the class of 2021 is part of a social enterprise, Developing Youth Aspirations (DYA), which aims to help and support financially disadvantaged members of society. In response to Covid-19, DYA has initiated a ration drive that aims to target 500+ families in Wah Cantt, Taxila and Lahore.
The organisation is raising donations through multiple sources to buy rations from the market. The ration bag, which costs around PKR 2000, consists of basic amenities required to feed a family —rice, ghee, sugar, flour, tea, milk, spices and lentils.
Keeping the lockdown situation in view, DYA delivers these ration packs at the doorstep of identified deserving families across the cities. The organisation is targeting the labour community, which is the most affected during this lockdown. Moreover, it also tries to reach out to rickshaw and taxi drivers.
Speaking about the dire need for providing support in these conditions, Ali Hassan said, “The situation is really bad in small cities. In large cities like Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi, there are numerous organisations working to support the underprivileged sector. But in small cities like Taxila and Wah Cantt, I haven’t come across a single organisation doing welfare work. People do not have work and if we don’t help them, they are bound to suffer from hunger rather than the Coronavirus.”
DYA is keen on maintaining the essential safety precautions for its team members by strictly directing them to have the complete Personal Protective Equipment on while distributing the ration bags. The teams are also provided hand sanitizers and directed to ask the recipients to use it as well before collecting their packages.
For more information and to support DYA’s campaign, directly drop a text on WhatsApp at 0311-5387056 or leave a message on their website, www.dya.org.pk or Facebook page.
For financial contributions, the relevant account details are as follows:
Account no: 0010046289970015
IBAN: PK39 ABPA 0010 0462 8997 0015
Account holder: Ali Hassan
Bank code: ABLLTD (Allied Bank)
Branch: 0492
Paypal aneeqzia@gmail.com
EasyPaisa 03115387056
