Phia Foundation following its vision of a society free from poverty, exclusion and discrimination where all people live with justice and dignity, on 15th January 2016 distributed sweaters to Care takers and cleaners of homeless people’s shelters managed by Ashray Adhikar Abhiyan (AAA) in Delhi.
Aashray Adhikar Abhiyan came into existence in the year 2000 as a campaign for the rights of urban homelessness in Delhi. Since then it has been working in Delhi towards realization of the rights of the homeless people as enshrined in the Constitution of India as well as in various International Conventions and Treaties.
Homeless people have been defined by AAA as people who live on the streets, under bridges, in parks or in any other place not meant for human habitation including people who live in night shelters. The majority of homeless people in Delhi are migrants from nearby states. Facing poverty, displacement, natural calamities, violence, etc. in their villages, they come to Delhi in search of employment and end up working largely as casual labourers, rickshaw pullers, construction workers, etc. Poverty and unemployment in rural India is the root cause of homelessness in Delhi.
AAA has caretakers to look after the shelters and make that place habitable and comfortable for the homeless people. The caretakers go through intensive training to work as worker in the society and working as 24X7 type jobs and are capable of handling any situation in the field. During winters, these people are equally exposed to the cold waves. Their economic status is not so good. More importantly, the caregivers have to protect themselves before protecting others.
Besides the relief material for winter, curtains were provided by PHIA Foundation for these shelters which will help to make these places more comfortable and protected from cold. Mr. Subhash Chandra (Sub Divisional Magistrate, Shahdara District, Delhi), Mr. Bipin Kumar Rai (Member Expert, DUSIB, Delhi Government), Ms. Paramjeet Kaur (Director, Ashray Adhikar Abhiyan), Mr. Sunil (Advocate, Labour Court, Karkardooma) and Mr. Mike Annison (Head of Fundraising, PHIA Foundation) distributed the relief materials to the caretakers. The caretakers are the people who believe in their hard work instead of begging thus we complement their efforts to make winter more bearable for them.
