Tarun Nandi/Kolkata

For Rokia Bibi, an elderly woman living alone in a village in West Bengal, the daily struggle to secure two meals had become a painful reality. Battling ill health, loneliness and uncertainty, she had little assurance of where her next meal would come from.

Now, a helping hand has brought her not just food, but something she had been missing for a long time — the reassurance that she will not have to face hunger alone. 

The turning point came when a local journalist captured the heartbreaking reality of her life. As images of Rokia Bibi’s plight spread on social media, members of Asahayer Bandhu, a charitable organisation working in and around Swarupnagar in North 24 Parganas district, stepped forward.

The NGO founder Joydeep visited Rokia with cooked food and assured her that she will be taken care of by his NGO all her life.

Joydeep from NGO with Rokia Bibi

They rushed to Sarapul village, where Rokia Bibi lives, and brought her food. But the organisation’s intervention did not end with that first act of kindness. Its members have taken responsibility for ensuring that she receives food for the rest of her life, sparing her the daily anxiety of wondering whether she will have enough to eat.

For a woman who had been struggling with hunger and isolation, the assurance offers more than immediate relief. It brings the promise of greater security and dignity in her twilight years.

The gesture also reflects the larger mission of Asahayer Bandhu, an organisation launched five years ago, has made service to vulnerable people a daily commitment.

For the members of Asahayer Bandhu, (menaing Friends of the helpless) helping those in distress is not an occasional charitable activity reserved for festivals or special occasions. Their ambition is to provide cooked meals to hungry, homeless and vulnerable people throughout the year — all 365 days.

The journey has not been easy. Storms, heavy rain, natural disasters and other adversities have repeatedly tested the organisation. Yet its members have continued their work, believing that helping someone in need does not always require elaborate arrangements or substantial resources. Sometimes, all it takes is the willingness to show up when someone has nowhere else to turn.

Over time, the organisation’s work has expanded beyond food distribution. Whenever its members receive information about a homeless person or someone experiencing mental distress and living in difficult circumstances in Swarupnagar and neighbouring areas, they try to reach out and provide assistance.

Volunteers of NGO busy distributing food

Children from economically disadvantaged families also receive educational materials to help them continue their studies. The organisation extends medical assistance to people in need, responding to requests for help to the best of its ability.

Behind these efforts is a network of donors, well-wishers and other compassionate individuals whose contributions sustain the work. Their trust and support have enabled the organisation to continue reaching people who might otherwise remain unnoticed.

Its members now hope to extend their services to more people in distress.

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The NGO has not only provided food to Rokai but also given a hope around that humanity is not dead