An Anniversary Like No Other

As the planning and development office for Karnataka and Kerala, BREADS has been responding to emergencies regularly. However, the response required during COVID 19 was different. BREADS worked around this situation by networking with various agencies and individuals, forging many rich partnerships with organisations and people in their official and personal capacities to reach out to vulnerable populations. We reached out to people made vulnerable by health issues and circumstances, such as people with leprosy/HIV, the visually and physically challenged, bedridden, elderly and children in institutions, children in conflict with the law/government homes, widows, daily wagers, migrants, slum/street dwellers, tribal/Devadasi/transgender communities, flood victims, people in quarantine centres and even international refugees referred by the UNHCR. Solidarity was expressed diversely, especially through various food items, masks and sanitary items, educational aids, clothes, counselling and volunteering services.

As part of the collective Don Bosco Solidarity COVID 19 relief campaign globally, BREADS reached out to more than 5.5 lakh people, positively impacting them in their time of need.  Through its KISMAT programme, BREADS especially reached out to stranded migrants in various ways, including helping them return to the security of their families and home states.

BREADS recalls and appreciates the valuable solidarity demonstrated by its numerous partners in reaching out to the most vulnerable in need.