Visalaachi has been a resident of Korukkupet ever since she got married over 50 years ago. Her husband and her, now in their 70s, live off the meagre income they receive from collecting waste paper and bottles on the street which are then given to recycling shops. Their daughter who is married but has moved elsewhere, neither visits nor offers to take care of them. Dinner provided by the Chennai Roti Bank is the only meal they eat, day after day.
Annapoorani, at just 50, is already a widow. She lives with her daughter, who works as a domestic worker to support them both. The financial strain they face is constant, with their earnings barely stretching to cover the essentials of daily life. Despite their hardships, Annapoorani remains resilient, drawing strength from the little moments of comfort that come their way. When our CRB volunteers visit, they are told that dinner serves up more than sustenance; it’s also a sense of hope.
Krishnaveni grew up in the crowded streets of Korukkupet and does not know a life outside this community. She is physically challenged and so requires help ever so often from her neighbours to buy rice from the ration shop. Lunch, she says, is a simple bowl of porridge and for dinner, she looks forward to the CRB meal, both for the variety it brings and for the flavour she hasn’t enjoyed in a while.
Karumaari was abandoned by her husband after she became physically challenged. She took refuge with her mother, who does domestic work, shortly after. Even her daughter has moved away to a different city, leaving her behind. The nightly meal brought by CRB volunteers – come rain or shine – is a symbol of hope, after many a disappointment. It’s more than a meal; it’s something she can rely on.
At 60, Lakshmi is all alone. Her children are all married and do not visit or call. Destitute and surviving as a domestic worker, she spends more time at the homes of people she cleans for, than her own. For food, she relies entirely on the goodwill of those around her, eating lunch at a home where she works, and dinner, delivered by CRB volunteers.
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