Project Delhi

04/06/2020

Project Delhi, a 100% voluntary run group has served 2400+
individuals with food,medicine & has been at the forefront of the
corona pandemic by being a companion for people with disabilities
across NCR. In this spirit of service, we served with whatever we
could offer. We became city’s online pharmacy where medicines were
delivered with compassion, Milk with trust & saving human lives with
priorities. We made a new friend from champaran & our kindness melted
even our Grocery provider Arunji who started contributing his own bit
to us.

We thank everyone for steering the boat so far & would request
your generosity to continue our work. Please send us your good wishes and extend your support through your contribution.

People with disabilities are struggling to get their daily essentials & medicines across Delhi. Project Delhi aims to serve the needy communities across Delhi NCR by delivering essentials to the homes of individuals with disabilities and the funds raised would go to the most deprived individuals

29/05/2020

He told me very profoundly about his native place Champaran (Bihar) and informed me that Father of the Nation “ Ghandhiji “ started his satyagraha movement from there. His naïve enthusiasm amazed me and I simply didn’t tell him that people ( including myself ) know about his place. Shekhar’s father runs a small rice shop in Champaran and his elder brother helps the meager family business. Shekhar decided to move out of Champaran and got himself admitted in the Kirorimal college of Delhi University for his graduation in commerce. Shekhar's details was shared by my colleague Aditya in Project Delhi (where we are trying to assist people with disabilities during the current lockdown). Shekhar has a loco-motor disability. Aditya informed that Shekhar is in distress and stuck alone in his rented accommodation in Mukherjee Nagar.
I tried contacting Shekhar on his phone, but he was unreachable. After many unsuccessful attempts trying to reach him, I decided to message him both on normal message and on WhatsApp, but sadly , neither of the message got delivered. We waited for a day to trace Shekhar through other sources but with no success.
Next day we tried to contact him again but failed. After 2 days, one morning I tried a whatsapp call and somehow it connected. I still remember my happiness just to listen to him and finding out that he is well and holding on at his place. Later on, he told me about the network issues in the area and thus messages were not delivered to him earlier.
I told him about our small group and our work in lockdown. He was not very keen on seeking any assistance and just wanted to be with his family back home. After much convincing, he hesitantly shared his requirements. I asked him to connect me with a nearby shopkeeper’s in order to coordinate the delivery of ration for Shekhar (this , we do where immediate relief is required). Throughout the process we spoke about various thing. Ration was finally delivered to him but more than ration , now he knows that he’s not alone and he’s got somebody with whom he can speak to , any time and on anything. As for me, I have got a new friend from Champaran.

PC: Shutterstock

If you would like to donate to help us achieve our mission, please visit: bit.ly/donateprojectdelhi⠀
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21/05/2020

Shalu Sharma’s tryst with Inclusion started when she was expecting her daughter & could not go to work. She started teaching art to a nonverbal girl who sketched beautiful designs. Art was like a therapy for her as well as the girl. The girl referred another girl & this love continues with unrelenting passion till date. During the lockdown, Evoluer’s online art & cooking sessions are much enjoyed by neuro diverse children across the country. At the peak of the lockdown finding Driver & a vehicle was getting difficult so she gave her own car. Eventually with challenges in getting e-pass for Gurgaon the plan didn’t materialise. What I like about working here is that no one posts snaps of individuals being served. Everyone is trying to do their bit as volunteers & it’s good that we played our part for the most marginalised section. A good news which I would like to share with everyone is that we are not having firing in our small start up ecos started by a group of individuals with disabilities as we are flooded with work⠀
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Project Delhi salutes shalu for serving the nation & establishing ripples of meaningful connections with this world.⠀
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16/05/2020

On Wednesday 29th April 2020, I was on my routine call. A lady called for some groceries request as they had no economical means to buy it and her husband was a person with disability. I called my colleague Rahul and shared the details with him. We decided that we should get it fulfilled locally. At around 3:00 pm, Rahul informed me that the couple has a month old baby and needs Lactogen for her. Without much deliberation, we decided we should cater to the request. He called me in the evening for our usual catching up. While we were discussing the unfolding of events, he mentioned that the child wasn't well and was under some medications prescribed by the local chemist. I was reminded of my conversation with Rahul while going through my customary log check that night. I called the lady and enquired about the health of the child, I took note of the situation in detail. The baby had symptoms of dysentery from the past 3 days, no signs of improvement even after the medicines. I offered to arrange for an ambulance so that the child can be taken to a hospital. The lady was in a dilemma as it was late and that the child was sleeping for the past two hours. While in the kitchen preparing dinner, I called up a friend who works with DCPCR. I told her about the situation and she immediately shared the ambulance operator contact. It was almost 11:00 pm in the night, I was hungry and started setting up the table. My phone flashed, I received the call, "Sir, Baachi ke mooh se phen aaraha hai". I was able to recognise lady. I made calls for an ambulance. While that coordination happened, I called up my friend from DCPCR, she sent me a list of hospitals with functional Emergency.The ambulance had arrived. They were on their way, my food was cold on the table, my mind feeling some solace.They reached the hospital by 11:50, the child was immediately admitted and I was assured. Later that night, I was informed that the child was adopted recently. I was aware that parenting is an act of selflessness, that night I realised the power of being selfless. I am compelled to believe that these roles were chosen for the night. Everyone had one thing in common, selflessness!

15/05/2020

Vineet Saraiwala, an alumnus of IIM Bangalore, leads inclusion at Big Bazaar and is the man behind making shopping accessible for Persons with Disabilities.⠀ ⠀

As the nation went into lockdown in March 2020, he started receiving frantic calls from Persons with Disabilities across the nation struggling to get access to groceries. He was helping them in his personal capacity but wished to do something in a more structured manner. It was around this time that he came across Project Mumbai, an initiative started by Shishir Joshi in Mumbai and requested him to started serving the disabled too & Shishir with his attitude of Mumbai ke liye kuch bhi karega, did it.⠀ ⠀

Vineet wasn’t satisfied and wanted to do something more impactful. And Delhi was lucky to find his services. He decided to partner with individuals who showed intent and everything started flowing from there. The first few people to come on board were Merry Barua from Action for Autism, Nipun Malhotra from Nipman Foundation ,Ankita Gulati from Touch Vision & shalu sharma from Evoluer .Today, Project Delhi has impacted 300+ Persons with Disabilities by providing groceries & medicine.⠀ ⠀

Vineet was inspired by the man behind India Inclusion summit,V.R. Ferose’s beliefs and values. Firstly, centralise on purpose, decentralise on power. Secondly, no logos and no egos. And thirdly, don’t get stuck in the trap of number of beneficiaries. Everyone is a volunteer in Project Delhi with no hierarchies or logos collectively bonded by the purpose of serving people with disabilities.⠀
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His message to the nation is to have more faith in humanity. He illustrates it with an example of a lady who took the financial support of Project Delhi to buy milk. Many NGOs refused to support her but we didn’t hesitate once in saying yes. She was so touched that on a daily basis, she sends receipts to us acknowledging the same. Vineet loves penning volunteer stories of service wherever it is & tries to listen to his heart always⠀
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Thank you Vineet for everything you do!⠀
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13/05/2020

Merry Barua has empowered thousands of individuals through Action For Autism that she started in 1991. However, has worried her as much as Covid – 19 has in the recent past. One of the main reasons for her concern was the fact that “social distancing” is not possible for many with learning and intellectual disabilities as they are dependent on caretakers for their physiological needs. Besides, routine and predictability are very important for Persons with Autism. A parent of a person with Autism herself, she was concerned about the distress and anxiety this sudden change would create. She became busy interacting with parents, guiding them to reassure their children by saying “You won’t get it if you follow the rules” and “try to figure out ways to deal with it”. She was also faced with the herculean task of shifting everything at Action For Autism online which she succeeded in doing over the next few weeks⠀ ⠀
One day as she had stepped out for daily chores, she saw an old lady who was trying to find a place for herself under the sun. Perhaps, she didn’t have a house. Perhaps, she needed some personal space with all the men folk home. There clearly was hunger on her face. Suddenly, all kinds of questions started coming up in Merry’s mind. “How are the disabled and elderly managing with their groceries?”. She wanted to do something to help others but didn’t know how!⠀ ⠀
And then one day she received a call from Vineet Saraivala and the rest as they say is history. Merry made the project her own by spreading the word and getting volunteers on board. The AFA car soon became our official delivery vehicle with the driver ‘Milap ji’ becoming our favourite volunteer.⠀
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What’s touched Merry heart the most in these times? The countless volunteers who she only knows as a voice on the phone coming together to change society. Project Delhi has reinforced the belief in her that there are good people in the world.⠀ ⠀
If you would like to donate to help us achieve our mission, please visit: bit.ly/donateprojectdelhi⠀
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11/05/2020

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Nipun Malhotra is a well known Disability Rights Activist and CEO, Nipman Foundation. He was shocked to see the challenges involved (including multiple rejections) in getting a curfew pass for his attendant amidst the lockdown that happened as a result of the Covid – 19 pandemic. However, this was also a realisation that millions of Persons with Disabilities would be struggling through the crises. ⠀
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Collaborating with some dynamic changemakers, Project Delhi took shape. He was humbled by the response he received when he shared the project with his networks. A group from Singapore donated over 1 lac, a CEO of a leading pharma chain extended full support in solidarity in providing medicines, a Deaf Donor asked him to take care of individuals with deafness in Delhi while his own mother too contributed her bit to the work. ⠀
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When asked on what keeps him motivated, he’s quick to answer that it’s the energy and enthusiasm of the volunteers running the daily operations and the anecdotes of how Project Delhi has impacted lives. In his own words, “Project Delhi has moved me. As much through the selfless service of volunteers as the stories of impact I get to hear everyday. Project Delhi has made me gain tremendous faith in humanity and appreciate the fact that if you decide to do something positive, many people come forward to support you and you’re never alone”. ⠀
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Project Delhi salutes Heroes like our very own Nipun Malhotra for serving the nation & establishing ripples of meaningful connections with this world. ⠀
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If you would like to donate to help us achieve our mission, please visit: bit.ly/donateprojectdelhi⠀
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09/05/2020

When the world was socially distancing itself, a few came closer. The team that made Project Delhi, tirelessly working towards making the lives of people better. This small team made an impression and touched hearts throughout this period of lockdown. Each and every person here and the volunteers on ground have given their heart and soul to make the lives of people better.⠀
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This love and compassion the team has towards the society makes Project Delhi ✨⠀
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07/05/2020

Ankita Gulati, 28 is a design expert by profession. A serial entrepreneur, she has trained at IIT Delhi, IIM Ahmedabad and the MIT.⠀
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Starting her career as an Android developer, she felt a need for a larger purpose in life. In her own words, “I want to serve people through my work, not through charity”. Her masters thesis eventually lead to the birth of Touchvision, a Disability design firm incubated at IIT Delhi where a portable scanner for the visually impaired was designed at just Rs. 1,500 (international variant costs 3 lacs). ⠀
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Realising that students with visual impairments struggle to study maths and science after class 8th, as diagrams aren’t accessible, she developed interactive tactile graphics. This has opened doors to the sciences for many blind students. ⠀
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Every adversity is an opportunity. Covid – 19 was no different for Ankita. She was one of the first ideators behind Project Delhi. Designing the campaign, getting everyone together and getting the campaign going -⠀Ankita has contributed to everything. Take the case of Santosh, a migrant labourer from Bihar, who has polio and TB. He was struggling to get food or medical aid during the lockdown. Project Delhi came across a distress video shared by a volunteer sharing his concerns. On seeing the video, Ankita made this problem her own. Over the next two days, she ran pillar and post, approached the Delhi and Bihar state governments and convinced two disability commissioners to arrange an ambulance to take him back to his family in Bihar and seek treatment.⠀
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A young disability professional, Ankita’s learning was beautifully articulated by her “You can do anything you want to even during a pandemic”⠀
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Project Delhi salutes brave and dedicated women like Ankita who are devoted towards making this world a better place to live in. ⠀
If you would like to donate to help us achieve our mission, please visit: bit.ly/projectdelhi⠀
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06/05/2020

It's been more than three weeks now and the lives we impacted grew even more and so did our happiness ☺️ Those smiles still light up our day and the calm in their voices still melts our heart. This wouldn't have been possible without the love and support we have been receiving. Project Delhi thanks everyone for being by our side 🙏

If you would like to donate to help us achieve our mission, please visit the link in bio.

01/05/2020

#दूध का पैकेट

जब मेरे Project Delhi के साथी आदित्य से मुझे मीना जी के बारे में पता चला तो मैंने उन्हें संपर्क करने की कोशिश की. मीना जी अपने परिवार के साथ ( उनके पति और दो बच्चे ) दिल्ली के नांगलोई इलाक़े में रहती है, मीना जी “लम्बर माईलोमिनगोसेल पैरापेलेजिया “ नाम की एक बीमारी की शिकार है जिसकी वजह से वो चल नहीं सकती और व्हिल चेयर पर अपना काम करती हैं । Project Delhi में हम ऐसे लोगों की यथासंभव मदद करने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं जो किसी भी क़िस्म की विकलांगता के चलते , कोविद 19 के लॉक डाउन में रोज़मर्राह की ज़रूरतें ( खाना और दवाई ) को लेकर परेशानी का सामना कर रहे हैं ।

जब मैंने मीना जी से बात की तो उन्होंने मुझे बताया कि उन्हें अपनी दो साल की बच्ची रूपाली के लिये दूध की परेशानी हो रही है । आम तौर पे हम Project Delhi में विकलांगों की सहायता के लिये सूखा राशन मुहैया कराते हैं । जब हमने मीना जी से सूखा दूध पाउडर लेने की गुज़ारिश की तो उन्होंने बताया की कच्चे दूध का पैकेट उन्हें और रूपाली को ज़्यादा राहत पहुँचायेगा ।
Project Delhi में हम जो भी वितरण करते हैं उसका रसीद लेते हैं ताकि उसका ऑडिट किया जा सके मगर मीना जी के घर के पास की डेयरी पर उपयुक्त रसीद नहीं थी और हम नहीं चाहते थे कि मीना जी के दूध के लिये बहुत दूर जाना पड़े । एक और समस्या ये भी थी कि दूध हररोज चाहिए था और हम सिमित संसाधनो के चलते हर रोज़ मीना जी के पास नहीं जा सकते थे ।

हमने आपस में बात करके ये निर्णय लिया कि हम मीना जी की मदद करने के लिये अपने तरीक़ों को थोड़ा बदलेंगे और फिर हमने मीना जी के घर के नज़दीक वाली डेयरी से सम्पर्क किया और उन्हें आगे के कुछ दिनों की दूध सप्लाई के लिये पैसे दिये गये । मीना जी को ये पता था हमें डेयरी से उपयुक्त रसीद नहीं मिल पायेगी और इसीलिए उन्होंने अपनी तरफ़ से मुझसे कहा कि वो हर रोज़ जब भी दूध का पैकेट लेंगी,हमें उसकी फ़ोटो भेज देगीं । हमारे मना करने पर भी वो मानी नहीं और अब हर सुबह मुझे अपने मैसेज बाक्स में सुबह लिया हुआ दूध का पैकेट मिलता है । आपसी प्रेम और सहयोग से बड़ी कोई रसीद नहीं... मीना जी के जज़्बे हिम्मत और प्रतिबद्धता को Project Delhi का सलाम!

If you would like to donate to help us achieve our mission, please visit: bit.ly/donateprojectdelhi.

28/04/2020

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Our van was near an adjoining truck and the driver remarked, “aap log bhi khana dene jaa rahe hain”. We nodded in agreement and I sensed that he understood our mission of service. After delivering the food kits near the UP border, we again met him while returning back, and he helped us with the route of the next delivery and to charge a phone that was on the verge of dying. ⠀
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He is not the only one who went out of his way to support our deliveries. We had Arunji, our grocer who gave crates of water bottles, juices & biscuits to our volunteers saying, “aap logon ke himmat ko salaam aur ye meri taraf se”. All the 17 individuals whom we had delivered these food kits had expressed a deep sense of gratitude & one of them said, “Aap masiha ho”, specifically thanking us for bringing him food during the holy month of Ramzan. Our van which was loaded till the brim with barely any space for me to sit down had cleared by dusk.⠀
Milapji was completely in the flow and tireless even after riding for over eight hours, and the motivation for him was that we were of service in a time of need, and this is his way of expressing solidarity. The grocer gave us free biscuits while the truck driver showed us the path, and the kindness of several people we encountered along the way helped us pass it on to each of the beneficiaries whose lives were made slightly easier during these difficult times. ⠀
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What else does one want? Thoda respect, love and solidarity, and a collective consciousness that brings out the best of humanity by lending a helping hand to all those that need it around us.⠀
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If you would like to donate to help us achieve our mission, please visit: bit.ly/donateprojectdelhi (link in bio).