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( October 17, 2020 )
Mumbai/Pune, October 16, 2020: The meal providers and the very face of Mumbai – the Dabbawallas – are today faced with the challenge of fending for themselves. The worsening COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra, with most businesses and offices closed, has rendered members of this Six Sigma organisation struggling to provide for their families. KFC India has partnered with Smile Foundation to extend support to the Dabbawalas – a community that has been delivering meals to many office-goers in Mumbai and is today severely impacted by the extended periods of lockdown. As part of the brand’s KFC Care initiative, kits of essentials including dry ration and essential items will be disseminated to more than 5000 members of the Dabbawalas community and their families, from across Mumbai and Pune.
Speaking about the initiative Moksh Chopra, Chief Marketing Officer, KFC India said, “Giving back is one of the core values of KFC. The pandemic has had a huge socio-economic impact on several communities, including the Dabbawalas. As a food brand that aims to feed the world, we are committed to this pledge even outside of our restaurants. Under KFC Care, and in partnership with Smile Foundation, we pledge to support the Dabbawalas community and their families, enabling them access to nutritious food and essentials. We are all together in this fight against COVID-19, and I have faith that we will come through stronger and better.”
Santanu Mishra, Co-founder and Executive Trustee, Smile Foundation, added: “We have been working round the clock to help communities who have been affected by the pandemic, where we have been providing meals, dry ration and hygiene kits across the country. Coming together with a responsible food brand like KFC India, we want to now ensure that the ‘meal-providers’ of Mumbai city don’t go hungry themselves.”
KFC India has undertaken various initiatives to identify and reach out to communities in need, especially to those impacted during the ongoing pandemic. The brand served more than 10,000 ‘Thank You’ meals to healthcare workers across hospitals in different cities as a token of gratitude for their relentless services. As part of the brand’s ‘Feed a Million’ pledge, more than two million meals were provided to daily wagers and migrant workers during the extended periods of lockdown. Through Smile Foundation’s campaign, “India Shares”, the NGO has come forward and developed a multi-pronged approach to mitigating the ongoing crisis. Fighting against hunger, Smile has a comprehensive food supply programme, where they are providing hunger survival kits to children and families in urban slums and rural areas across 22 States of India. So far, they have provided 10 million meals, with a goal of providing 25 million meals.
