During the end of my AIF Clinton Fellowship, another rapid COVID relief initiative was started with my host organization, Turn Your Concern Into Action (TYCIA). We walked around neighbourhoods in Delhi to identify street vendors who we could train around precautions that can be taken during COVID-19. We also chose to give them a start-up capital to restart or upgrade their businesses.
Here is a case study from one street vendor we met in R.K Puram in Delhi, India:
Name: Bhuwanchand Bhatt
Native Place: Almora, Uttrakhand
Bhuwanchand has been living in Delhi for the past 36 years. He has a mother, wife, and two children and they reside in Almora, Uttrakhand. The son’s age is 17 years old, and the daughter’s age is 19 years old. His children are studying and live with their mother. He lives alone in Delhi for the past 36 years far away from his family. He has a tea stall, and he lives in his stall.
He went home during lockdown for three and a half months during the first wave of the pandemic. During the second wave of the pandemic, he could not back home as he could not get vaccinated, and hence, he stayed in Delhi despite wanting to go back home as he really wanted to go back to his family.
He earns around 3000-4000 per month. He is unable to save and however much he saves he sends back for his children’s education. He is uncertain about his future, and he believes he wants to leave everything to destiny. Through the support capital, he wants to buy raw materials such as cups, sugar to maintain and improve his stall.