Gharbhejo campaign by LB Trust , Neeti Goel and KhaanaChahiye is officially supported by Sonu Sood.

The Problem: One of the largest exodus of migrant workers in the history of our country

For most of us, lockdown is about spending time with family in the comfort and warmth of our homes. But migrant workers do not have that choice. They are stranded thousands of kilometers away from home with no money or food or even enough space in their cramped living quarters.

The State and Central Governments are trying their best to support them. But within weeks, the waiting list for Government facilitated transport has already run into lakhs. Many began dangerous journeys, with families including kids, packed in trucks, and other unsafe vehicles. Others are walking thousands of kilometers under the grueling summer heat with almost no food or water. Tragically, few of them had to give up their lives in accidents and mishaps in the process. They are going through this ordeal just to get home and to be with their loved ones.

The Solution: Gharbhejo campaign by LB Trust , Neeti Goel and KhaanaChahiye is officially supported by Sonu Sood

Lala Bhagwandas Trust and Khaanachahiye, in collaboration with Government authorities and inter-state private transporters, will arrange for buses to take migrants to their villages across the country through the Gharbhejo campaign. Team Gharbhejo, in partnership with local officials, procures all necessary permissions, including medical certifications, NOCs, etc. These documents will be provided to the authorities in both the Home State (Maharashtra) and the destination State.

GharBhejo campaign is officially endorsed by Sonu Sood.

Once the approval for travel for a particular group is received, Khaanachahiye will allot buses, each carrying 35 or fewer passengers. Team Gharbhejo will ensure that all social distancing measures are undertaken. Passengers will be provided with food and water during the journey. The services will be from door to door. So the migrant workers and their families will be dropped at their respective villages and not just the district headquarters. Each bus will travel anywhere between 800 to 2000 kilometers, depending on the destination.

Already, 18 such buses have ferried over 600 migrants to their respective villages in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. Team Gharbhejo targets to operate more than 135 to 160 such buses (depending on the destinations) in the coming days to States like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal & Karnataka.

The overall cost of the journey, including fuel charges, driver charges, tolls, and permits, comes to ~Rs. 75 per kilometer. Thus, a bus covering 1,000 km and ferrying 35 migrant workers costs Rs. 75,000, while the one covering 2000 km costs Rs. 1,50,000. This translates to little over Rs. 2 per km per passenger. With an average travel distance of 1,000 km, our goal is to facilitate the journey of 5,000 migrant workers and families to their home towns.

Support us in supporting these stranded souls and their families to reach home. You can facilitate the journey of a migrant worker or family member for 250 km, 500 km, 1000 km, or any number of migrants for any distance by contributing Rs. 500, Rs. 1000, Rs. 2000 or a higher amount of your choice respectively.

Help us to take them home.

Gharbhejo India!

About Lala Bhagwandas Trust:

Lala Bhagwandas Trust, is a 35-year-old charitable organization that supports developmental work in the fields of medical infrastructure and education. During the Covid-19 crisis, Lala Bhagwandas Trust served meals and ration kits to the underprivileged and supported medical staff with PPE kits.

About Khaanachahiaye:

Khaanachaiye is a citizen-led initiative to address the hunger of the daily wage earners, migrant workers, and homeless during the COVID-19 crisis. Khaanachaiye has served over 2 million meals across Mumbai since the nationwide lockdown began on March 25th, 2020.