On October 01 2021, on the occasion of International Coffee Day, Neighbourhood Foundation got to the grounds to provide 100 free cups of coffee to frontline sanitary workers of Chennai city, as a mark of respect to those sweepers, pickers, cleaners and manual scavengers who worked actively to keep the city’s clean and hygienic during the tough times of pandemic.
The International Coffee Day is widely observed on the 1st of October every year, around the world. Though there is not one specific reason that is usually referred to observe the Coffee Day globally, the day is used to promote awareness on trading coffee on fair means and to shed light on the workers and their hard work that goes behind harvesting the coffee beans, key ingredients of this beverage.
In India, National Coffee Day is observed on September 29. On this occasion, we took advantage of the moment to honour some of the hard workers we know, especially the frontline sanitary workers who worked actively to maintain hygiene during the tough times of the pandemic.
Along with the sanitary workers, we also took to share some of the warmth to those abandoned people as well around the city on a rainy, wet and chill day.
We provided cups of coffee to those sanitary workers across the neighbourhoods of Alandur, Saidapet and Guindy between 12:00 P.M and 03:00 P.M. We also like to mention that this venture was enabled and made possible by our partnership with Madras Coffee House who came forward to provide us with 100 cups of coffee, upon hearing our noble idea.
Though honoured, the frontline sanitary workers were some of the most under-appreciated labourers of the society who work around the clock to support the massive infrastructure of such a massive urban agglomeration like Chennai. Sanitary workers of any category must not be ignored or taken lightly or ill-treated at any time since their absence will potentially lead the society to decay.
