Rag Pickers Of India: Stories Of Struggle Amid The Pandemic

While the pandemic has caused much devastation to millions of people in India, there are some who have been more gravely affected by it than others. Needless to say, people from lower economic backgrounds continue to struggle every single day amid this crisis. They have no access to proper medical care, and countless people have lost their only source of income overnight due to lockdowns and curfews.

Among these are the rag pickers, who sustain themselves by collecting and segregating waste, which they then trade. While their job is among the most important, their lives are filled with hurdles. Rag pickers form an important part of the informal work sector in India and are responsible for cleaning up a huge portion of over 62 million tonnes of waste produced annually. Yet, they have little to nothing to survive on. They put their health at risk every day, despite not having any job security or respect for the work they do. They’re exposed to several diseases that can over time prove to be fatal, and they live in terrible conditions with no access to even the basic necessities.

The pandemic has only made it worse. Nagendra Babu, Co-founder of BeTheChange Hospete, throws light on the plight of rag pickers in Karnataka.

“There are so many villages in rural Karnataka that have been ravaged by the pandemic. All these people are rag pickers and daily wagers from low-income families. In these difficult times, they have no one to rely on. So many people are reaching out to us for help. All they want is to survive, and we can help them do that,” he says.

BetheChange Hospete (BTCH), an initiative of Cognition Social Innovation and Research Centre, was started with the mission of creating a hunger-free nation. Today, they’re working tirelessly to save hundreds of families from the brink of starvation. What started as a small initiative, soon grew into a massive food drive with over 700 volunteers. They have been helping hundreds of families in North Karnataka and in and around Bangalore ever since.

Another NGO based out of Bangalore, Namma Bengaluru Foundation, is also working to help rag pickers and daily wagers survive during this crisis. With an aim to make the city more inclusive and liveable, they are a strong support system for those in need. The Foundation has extended a helping hand to support the needy since the beginning of the pandemic last year, and has reached out to over 14,000 individuals and given them grocery kits.

With the support of Donatekart and hundreds of kind donors, BeTheChange and Namma Bengaluru Foundation was able to distribute grocery kits containing rice, toor dal, salt, oil, jeera, halid, rava and other essentials to hundreds of rag pickers in Karnataka. This has ensured that countless families have had healthy meals again and were able to find some hope to go on with.

However, their fight isn’t over yet. With the impending third wave, the rag pickers will suffer another blow — one they might be able to recover from without our help.

Contributing to fundraisers on Donatekart is a great way to make a big difference in someone’s life. You can contribute to any cause close to your heart here.