bigbasket, India’s largest online supermarket, has initiated a campaign through ImpactGuru.com (bigbasket.impactguru.com) to raise funds for providing nutritious meals to families affected by the COVID-19 lockdown. The funds will be routed to KVN Foundation, a not-for-profit social impact startup, to cover over 30 lakh meals as part of their ‘FeedMyCity’ initiative. The Foundation aims to provide freshly cooked nutritious meals to needy families in 5 cities namely – Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Noida, and Chennai.
The extended lockdown has left about 70% of the nation’s population depending on daily wages with no income. Countless poor families have been affected and are forced to sleep hungry. The fundraiser will help people to contribute towards this cause. Through the campaign, bigbasket is looking at raising an amount of INR 30 lakh to feed the families affected. ImpactGuru has waived off its platform fees for this fundraiser.
Speaking about this, Abhinay Choudhari, Co-founder, bigbasket, said, “The first batch of groceries and essentials is on its way to FeedMyCity’s kitchens. It is heartening to see donations coming in from people and these have helped the KVN Foundation serve meals to the famished. I thank Shadowfax, our delivery partner, for timely supply of groceries to the KVN kitchens. The generous contributions by everyone have made a difference to the lives of many! We encourage people to spread the word among their friends and relatives and show that they care.”
The KVN Foundation was started by three friends and entrepreneurs from Bengaluru -– Juggy Marwaha, Executive MD, JLL India; K Ganesh, Serial entrepreneur and Founder, Growthstory; and Venkat K Narayana, CEO, Prestige Group. The founders conceptualized the solution and mobilized approx. 30 likeminded individuals in 5 cities all through WhatsApp.
Adding further, K Ganesh, Serial Entrepreneur and Promoter – bigbasket, Portea Medical, HomeLane, Freshmenu, HungerBox, Verloop.io, Bluestone, said, “This is a time when all of us need to come together in our individual capacities and join hands to help those who need it the most. This pandemic is a collective crisis, more so for the daily wage workers who have been rendered without work and therefore meals. This is what prompted us to start KVN Foundation and through this fundraiser by bigbasket, we hope to reach out to more daily wage workers and provide them with nutritious meals. At a time like this, each contribution counts. I thank everyone who is doing their bit.”
Piyush Jain, Co-Founder and CEO, ImpactGuru.com, said, “Pleased that our tech-for-good platform can play a role in driving bigbasket’s initiatives for the well-being of the community. Such action-oriented collaborations can provide immediate support to the needy. We at ImpactGuru continue to work towards ensuring that lives are not impacted during this lockdown due to lack of funds.”
The meals are prepared in commercial kitchens, packed, and transported to specific locations where they are distributed while maintaining a safe social distance. The initiative by KVN Foundation has seen a strong response from industry leaders, endorsements from celebrities on social media and support from the municipal authorities of the cities they are serving.