The coronavirus lockdown is having a devastating effect on the poor and homeless. Thousands have been temporarily laid off from work and have lost their only source of livelihood. However, several news reports across the world affirm our faith in humanity and show that the world continues to run at the generosity of a few. In a heartwarming attempt to provide free food to people who have run out of work because of the ongoing nationwide lockdown, a Vietnamese entrepreneur has invented a 24/7 automatic rice dispensing machine AKA a rice ATM. India also has a Pani Puri ATM in Gujarat.
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Businessman Invents Rice ATM To Feed The Poor In Vietnam
Hoang Tuan Anh, from Ho Chi Minh City, has designed an automatic rice dispensing machine for the poor. He refers to it as a ‘rice ATM’ because it allows people to withdraw rice from it. The machine distributes 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) of rice from a small silo. Workers, many of whom are street vendors or people who earned a living from cash-in-hand jobs, wait in line to collect a bagful of rice.
According to Nguyen Thi Ly, a 34-year-old mother of three children, whose husband was among those who lost his job, “This rice ATM has been helpful. With this one bag of rice, we can have enough for one day. Now, we only need other food. Our neighbours sometimes gave us some leftover food, or we have instant noodles.”
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By providing free rice for people out of work, Anh told state media that he wanted people to feel they still had access to food and resources, despite the current economic difficulties. He also wanted to assure them that there are still good people out there who want to give them a second chance.
According to state media, similar rice ATMs have been set up in other big cities of Vietnam, like Hanoi, Hue and Danang.
Vietnam Has Begun a 15-Day Social Distancing Program To Contain The Spread Of The Coronavirus
Vietnam has reported 262 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and surprisingly no deaths so far. To contain the spread of the virus, it has implemented a 15-day social distancing program, which began on March 31, due to which many small-scale businesses have been affected and thousands have run out of jobs.
While the government has introduced a stimulus package to help the society’s vulnerable, many people have claimed to not have received enough support.
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