Manoj Bajpayee, wife lead the cause of generating livelihood locally

By Puja Gupta 

New Delhi, Aug 13 Bollywood actor Manoj Bajpayee and his wife Shabana Raza Bajpayee have lent their support to an initiative called ‘Shramik Sammaan’ that aims to generate employment for the migrant workers who have returned to their home towns and villages during the lockdown.

As public figures, Manoj and Shabana lead the cause of generating livelihood locally. Launched by Helping Hands Charitable Trust, the initiative aims at reinforcing local solidarity through 74 projects in the affected states in the celebration and honor of 74 years of India’s independence.

Commenting on the initiative, Manoj said: “I have pledged my support to Shramik Sammaan. The work Helping Hands Charitable Trust has done towards livelihood welfare of the migrant worker friends is commendable and it makes me very happy to associate with them. This initiative is the need of the hour, I request everyone to come forward, support and donate for this noble cause.”

Shabana said: “Unfortunately, the problems of our migrant worker friends have not ended with returning home. It is a huge relief to know that this initiative aims to address these issues at the grass-root level. I’m honored to be part of such a novel initiative.”

Bilal Khan (Humanitarian), Lara Jessani (Advocate) and Anil Hebbar (Chief Functionary Helping Hands Charitable Trust) said: “We (at the Trust) are honored to have the support of Manoj and Shabana for Shramik Sammaan. We have begun on a promising note and we hope to bring a positive impact locally first, then nationally and finally worldwide. Our operations begin in the same week as Independence Day and we are thrilled to be able to offer the rural belt of this country the stability it deserves.” You can also donate to their crowdfund “Shramik Sammaan” on Ketto.

The first project under Shramik Sammaan is the establishment of a Kacchi Ghani (cold-pressed oil extraction unit) – which commenced in Bhagalpur, Bihar on August 9. The other underway projects include mask making in Faridabad and Mumbai, production of bamboo articles in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, the establishment of a women’s tailoring unit in Uttarakhand, liquid soap and sanitiser manufacture unit in Uttarakhand, Khadi gamcha manufacturing unit in Bihar, dairy and dairy products in Raigad, Maharashtra, basket making with recycled materials in Bhiwandi and also establishment of units for the production of vacuum-dried vegetables and fruits and vacuum fried snacks and seed banks and nurseries.