Distributing Vegetable Packs to More Than 200 Families During COVID-19

Date: 10 November 2020
Project: Food-relief initiative for families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
Beneficiaries: More than 200 families

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 suddenly changed the everyday lives of many families. Restrictions on movement and disruptions to employment and daily income meant that even obtaining basic food became difficult for some households. During this challenging period, we decided to provide whatever practical assistance we could to families in need.

Fresh vegetables were brought directly from the Dambulla Economic Centre. Each relief pack contained five varieties of vegetables together with a bundle of leafy greens, with the total weight exceeding two kilograms. Through this effort, we were able to prepare and distribute vegetable packs to more than 200 families.

One of the most important parts of the project was ensuring that the vegetables reached families while they were still fresh. After bringing them from Dambulla, we sorted and prepared the vegetables, packed them into individual family parcels, and distributed them within a single day. It required long hours of continuous work, but seeing the parcels reach families who genuinely needed assistance made the effort worthwhile.

This was not something I could have accomplished alone. I remember with gratitude Danuska Nishantha, who worked with me tirelessly for two days, Yasitha Munasinghe, my brother and other members of my family. I also gratefully remember my school friend Saman Janaka, the friends who helped identify and connect families affected by the pandemic, and everyone else who contributed to the project in different ways.

In material terms, each parcel contained only a few kilograms of vegetables. But for a family facing uncertainty during the pandemic, it could provide several meals and, more importantly, remind them that they had not been forgotten.

For me, that was the real value of this initiative. Even when we cannot solve every problem, being able to do something—however small—to help another person is deeply meaningful.