Youth revealed as nation’s hidden heroes amid crisis

Group of welfare activists feed the underprivileged, jobless during lockdown

SARGODHA: In the middle of the coronavirus outbreak in the city, several welfare organisations came forward to help the underprivileged and jobless people.

A group known as Sargodha Youth Brigade is also trying to help people start their own business during the lockdown in the country.

Reportedly, workers from these welfare organisations came together and decided that they would play their role during this difficult time.

Currently, two opposing trends are seen during the lockdown across the country.  On one hand, some traders are making maximum profit through hoarding and on the other hand are the ones that have been helping people by putting their own lives at risk.

There are several private welfare organisations in the city that are helping citizens in different ways, but their members have formed the Sargodha Youth Brigade for the purpose.



The group’s member Yousha Irfan told The Express Tribune that workers of the city's welfare organisations already knew each other.

“When the country started facing this crisis, everyone came forward and decided to work together,” he said. Irfan maintained that the organisation was named youth brigade because mostly young people are working in it. “Some of them are university students and some are doing their own business or job,” he said.

Sargodha Youth Brigade works to distribute ration among locals affected by the lockdown in Sargodha, Irfan informed The Express Tribune.

He said that the distributed ration included flour, wheat, pulses, condiments, potatoes, onions, soaps, rice and other daily use items.

“The main goal in our mind was that although the labourers are protected from coronavirus due to the lockdown, they can die of hunger, hence we decided to come together and help these people.”

He highlighted that the Sargodha Youth Brigade is working on the motto to prevent people from leaving their houses during the lockdown. “If people leave their homes to receive rations from us, then the real purpose of lockdown will be lost,” he said.

“For this purpose, we are delivering ration at people's doorsteps,” said Irfan. He further said that more than 100 young men are working in the brigade for this purpose, who not only help collect the data of needy people in their areas, but are also active to deliver the ration to their homes.



“Packets of ration are being prepared and transported to the homes of deserving people,” he said.

Speaking about the funding of the organisation, Usman said that the city's philanthropists are cooperating with them due to which it has been possible to provide ration to thousands of citizens.

“During the coronavirus pandemic, the workers who are packing distributing relief goods are also under threat of being infected with the virus,” he said. “We are maintaining social distancing.”

He said the young people working with the group have been provided gloves, face masks and hand sanitisers so that they can be protected from coronavirus while delivering the ration.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 10^th, 2020.