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Food Relief Program in Orissa
by Radha Madhab Sahu

Bhaktivedanta Charities Inc. and ISKCON launch food relief program in Orissa.

The Bhaktivedanta Charities, a US based non-profit organization, and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in Orissa have joined together to launch a monthly food relief program to distribute prasadam to the poor in the Indian state of Orissa. Every month 3,000 needy children are being fed through the project.

In July, the state of Orissa was hit by severe floods, and as a result much of the crops throughout the state were destroyed, leading to scarcity of food. This is the third consecutive year that Orissa has faced food shortage due to natural calamities (in 1999 a supercyclone hit Orissa killing 50,000 people and destroying most of the crops, and in 2000 severe drought was the cause of loss of crops).

In the regions where the prasadam distribution is being done, the staple diet is nothing but plain rice and salt. They do not eat things such as vegetables, dahl, subji, etc., as they are not able to afford the ingredients. Many of the people whom we have fed told us they had never eaten these "delicacies" in their lives. They called the simple prasadam of rice, dahl, and subji we were serving "king’s food." The small children were so hungry that they were eating huge plates of rice, piled up like mountains leaving no place to put the subji or dahl.

We request those devotees who are able to help to sign up as monthly sponsors so that this prasadam distribution can continue every month. For further details, or to donate online, please visit http://www.foodrelief.org.

Your servant,
Radha Madhab Sahu
ISKCON Bhadrak, Orissa

© CHAKRA 15 November 2001