HONG KONG (UCAN): The Diocese of Macau joined the efforts of Mother’s Meal-Macau to feed overseas foreign workers stranded in the region due to the Covid-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Workers in Macau who do not hold a work visa but are unable to return to their home countries, are given a permit which needs to be renewed every 20 days.
These individuals cannot look for jobs and are in financial dependency. Mother’s Meal-Macau, a charity initiative of the Claretian Missionaries in Macau has been involved in providing food items to the poor since September 2020.
Mother’s Meal was a project started in India on 16 July 2020 to feed poor families during the Covid-19 crisis. The pandemic has left hundreds of thousands of people jobless and hence literally starving.
The concept of Mother’s Meal was a response to the crisis by Claretian Missionary Father George Kannanthanam, a renowned social worker based in Bangalore. The objective was to encourage and challenge families and individuals to support persons in distress by providing them with food and provisions.
When the government implemented the first round of lockdown in India, there was no alternative system in place to bring food to thousands of daily-wage workers who were held up in their shelters.
Within a month the target group grew to 1,000 families across the country in 55 locations. With a focus on the families with people with disabilities, terminal illness, widows and elderly people without any support, Mother’s Meal is designed to be a refuge for the most vulnerable families who struggle to survive in this time of the pandemic.
Mother’s Meal sought to bring food at least to a few of them and save them from starving. Father Kannanthanam who had initiated several charity organisations for numerous disaster-relief operations in India and Nepal, initiated the project with the help of a few of his friends and collaborators.
The initial attempt was to provide food materials to just five families. There was an overwhelming response from people offering support for the project.
Within a month the target group grew to 1,000 families across the country in 55 locations. With a focus on the families with people with disabilities, terminal illness, widows and elderly people without any support, Mother’s Meal is designed to be a refuge for the most vulnerable families who struggle to survive in this time of the pandemic.
The second wave of the pandemic wreaked havoc across India killing over 330,000 people according to the official records. The actual number is feared to be three times more than the official figures, as many of the cases go unrecorded in the rural areas of the country.
The project envisages distributing a hot meal every day at the same venue for three months. After three months, further planning will be done based on the assessment of the functioning of the project
Mother’s Mealis also involved in procuring and distributing oxygen concentrators and other medical equipment for healthcare centres.
Father Jijo Kandamkulathy, director of Claretian Publications in Macau, was one of the founding members of the Mother’s Meal project. He sensed the urgency in responding to the plight of the migrants stranded in the special administrative region and shared his thoughts with some of his friends. Mother’s Meal-Macauwas launched on 5 September 2020, the feast day of St. Teresa of Kolkota.
In October last year, O Clarim, the Catholic weekly of the Diocese of Macau, carried an interview with Terry Kwok, a member of the Mother’s Meal- Macau.
Expounding on their work, she said, “It’s never too late if you have the heart to do it. Charitable work is never too much, never! I think we can do more to help these people … Even for some who have already received assistance, it does not mean they are well-fed. What we have been distributing is not much. Our food package contains five kilogrammes of rice, one litre of oil, and 10 packets of biscuits, that’s it… Not everyone would desire to get these, but if they come and collect, it implies they are in need.”
As the project comes up on one year in July 2021, the charity group is feeding over 20,000 families across five countries and territories, including Macau.
In May, the Diocese of Macau extended its help in distributing hot meals to overseas workers at St. Augustine Church.
Bishop Stephen Lee Bun-sang of Macau, flagged off the event with a prayer and a small inspirational talk during a gathering of the volunteers and beneficiaries on May 12. Opus Dei Father Joseph Mandia, the director of O Clarim, and Claretian Missionaries Father Mario Bonfaini and Father Kandamkulathy were present on the occasion.
The Filipino Pastoral Centre has been involved in identifying the beneficiaries of the project. Many of them are already provided with dry food twice a week.
The project envisages distributing a hot meal every day at the same venue for three months. After three months, further planning will be done based on the assessment of the functioning of the project.
