Before the COVID-19 pandemic, dabbawalas in Mumbai were the lifeline of nearly 2,00,000 people in the city. But the pandemic induced lockdown had crippled the 130-year-old meals delivery business, giving a huge blow to the daily livelihood of over 5000 workers. The dabbawalas had been facing acute financial crisis since the start of the pandemic. There had been a plunge of around 90% in the dabba delivery business in Mumbai during the pandemic. Several steps were being taken by individuals, organisations, restaurants and more to offer assistance to these dabbawalas amid the trying times. HSBC also announced an aid of ₹15 crores to provide the dabbawalas with life insurance, food security, family education and livelihood support. Now, for the first time in 2 years, the dabbawalas took a break of five days to attend the Dev Khandoba Festival in their villages.
HSBC Teams Up With NGO United Way Mumbai To Extend Help To Dabbawalas
HSBC teamed up with the NGO United Way Mumbai to assist the dabbawalas in reviving their livelihood. The grant by the bank included livelihood support to the delivery service workers by the provision of new bicycles after the lifting of the lockdown. According to a Free Press Journal report, the bank’s interim chief executive in India, Hitendra Dave, said, “The dabbawalas have defined the grit and spirit of the city of Mumbai. An integral part of the city’s workforce and community, they have been hit hard by the pandemic with loss of livelihood.”
Also Read: Now, Mumbai Dabbawalas Will Not Only Deliver Your Lunch But Cook It Too!
Mumbai’s Top Restaurants Partner With Dabbawalas To Deliver Restaurant Food To Homes
Impresario Handmade Restaurants, running popular dining chains like SOCIAL and Smoke House Deli partnered with Mumbai’s dabbawalas to directly deliver their orders received from Impresario’s online platforms. As part of the pilot project, orders from Smoke House Delhi, SOCIAL and Salt Water Cafe in the Lower Parel, BKC and Bandra (West) areas were delivered by dabbawalas.
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Also Read: Chef Vikas Khanna Donates 100,000 Kgs Of Food Supplies To Mumbai’s Legendary Dabbawalas
These initiatives were commendable, and they brought back a ray of hope to the life of the dabbawalas all over again. We at Curly Tales got the privilege to converse with the dabbawalas of Mumbai and create awareness on their problems amid the pandemic: