A number of organisations have come forward to lend a helping hand to Delhi's hundreds of sex workers struggling to survive the lockdown but are facing a major challenge - reaching out to each of these women who live in small dingy brothels above street level shops.
Some of them received raw ration, sanitary requirements, sanitisers, soaps and medicines in the past fortnight but now with the further extension of the lockdown, they need more help.
PTI had highlighted their plight earlier this month, how these women are struggling to survive with no money, food or medicines.
"The initial week of the lockdown was horrifying but now we have been getting some help since past 15 to 20 days. Many of us have received raw ration from one or the other NGO but how long will it last. Also we still don't have LPG cylinders or kerosene to cook," one of the residents told PTI requesting anonymity.
It is not easy to reach each of them as they live in multi-storeyed cramped quarters on Garstin Bastion Road (now known as Swami Shradhanand Marg). There are around 100 brothels where more than 1,500 sex workers live and work.
"They are so scared of cameras that they generally don't come out when organisations come with camerapersons to offer help. Sometimes they don't even get to know that something is being distributed," said Iqbal Ahmed, Delhi Unit Secretary of Bhartiya Patita Udhar Sabha, an organisation working for these women for last four decades.
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He said that NGOs like Seva Bharti, Prayas, Kat Katha, Super Sikh Foundation and Police Family Welfare Society have reached out to help them in these trying times.
"We have identified around 800 women nd with the help of other organisations, we are trying to reach out to each of them in the second phase of distribution. In the first phase we have distributed ration kits to 300 women," said Vishwajeet Ghoshal, director (projects), Prayas.
"In the first phase we did not face any difficulties in procuring resources but now since the lockdown has been extended and PM Cares fund was created, every PSU or corporate say they are contributing to that fund. Still we are determined to help," he added.
Another NGO Kat Katha has initiated an online crowdfunding campaign for these women.
"We have raised Rs 2,47,000 in the first phase and now we have started the next phase. Our aim is to reach out to each one of them. Initially we distributed cooked meal with the help of SDM and last Sunday we gave around 750 kits with the help of other organisations like Goonj, No Tears Foundation and others," said Geetanjali Babbar, the founder member of Kat Katha.
These kits include raw ration, sanitary napkins, kids food, milk powder, soap, sanitisers etc.
"We are also trying to arrange gas or kerosene or cooked meal again. We are planning to involve them in some other skilled work so that they can earn some money," Babbar added.
Sewa Bharti, affiliated to RSS, was among the first ones to reach out to these women and distributed complete ration kits with rice, pulses, flour, spices, tea, milk powder, soap, oil, etc.
"We have distributed around 250 kits till now and will go again soon. They had contacted our 24-hour helpline numbers and we immediately send out teams with male and female volunteers," said Sukhdev Bhardwaj, organisation secretary of Sewa Bharti's Delhi unit.
Gurpreet Wasi of Super Sikh Foundation has been regularly in touch with these women for the past two weeks and helping them with cooked meals and other essentials.
"When we read the story, we immediately arranged meals for them with the help of gurdwara. We have also distributed napkins and medicines. We are trying to arrange kerosene so that they can cook at home," she said.
Delhi Commision for Women had issued a notice to Delhi Police in the first week of April regarding the condition of these sex workers and had sought reply by April 6. Despite several attempts DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal could not be contacted.