Aizawl, May 24, 2021 (TNN): The Mizoram government doled out Rs 91.50 lakh on May 17 from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to the underprivileged to help them overcome the crisis they are facing because of food shortage due to the prolonged lockdown triggered by the pandemic.
Youngsters also came forward to help the poor and donated whatever savings they had in their piggy banks.
Lalrampari (11) and her younger brother Lallawmkima (10) were saving money by collecting plastic bottles so that they would be able to purchase a desktop computer.
Lalrampari and Lallawmkima belonged to a poor family depending on the wages of their divorced mother who earns their livelihood from daily manual labour and could not afford to buy a computer for her children.
However, they donated all their savings amounting to Rs 2,100 through the local level task force in Salem in southern Aizawl to the people who were on the verge of starvation.
Another noble example was set by Noel Lalnunkimi (7) and her 5-year-old brother Lalthlamuanpuia who donated their joint savings of Rs 1,503 to the poor families through the local task force of Aizawl’s Ramhlun South locality.
A four year-old girl in southern Mizoram’s Lunglei town Zodiki Fanai also donated her savings of Rs 2,400 to help poor people. Eunice V.L. Pekhlui (8) and H.V. Zodinsanga (5), both belonging to Chhingchhip village in central Mizoram’s Serchhip district donated Rs 592 and Rs 503 respectively to the Covid-19 patients being treated at the Community Covid Care Centre or 4C in the village.
Elizabeth Vanlalnghaki (5) of Tualte village in north eastern Khawzawl district donated Rs 1,270, which she had saved in her piggy bank for years to be distributed to the poor families in her tiny village.
Lalbiakhluni of Republic locality in Aizawl donated all her savings amounting to Rs 1,726 to help poor people through the local task force on her eighth birthday.
There were others like 6-year-old Vanlalhruaii Khiangte aka Ahruaii of Theiriat village in Lunglei district and Andy Lalnuntluanga (7) of Chaltlang locality in Aizawl, who donated Rs 1,015 and Rs 1,000 respectively to poor families through the local authorities.
Meanwhile, farmers in a number of villages collected vegetables and distributed them free of cost to the people in urban areas, which have been hit by scarcity of supplies because of the lockdown.