Dabbawalas' spread awareness for organ donation

Saturday afternoon saw 30 of the city's indispensable dabbawalas make a quick stop outside the Lower Parel station to slide in an organ donation card in the lunch bags. These cards are an attempt to raise awareness and encourage Mumbaikars to pledge their organs.

The drive which commenced on August 11, will see the dabbawalas deliver the message of organ donation to nearly 2 lakh people. In the course of coming few weeks, they will spread the message area wise. "When a person dies, we either bury or burn them, but if s/he donates their organs, we can save a life," said Subhash Talekar, spokesperson for the Mumbai Dabbawala Association.

The dabbawalas themselves are motivated to pledge their organs. "If a life can be saved, what's better than that after our life is over? Not only will we convey this to the people we deliver dabbas, but also to others," said Rohit Sawant, a dabbawala, who has been in the profession since a decade.

The campaign was initiated on February 14, 2016 by Shrimad Rajchandra Mission, an NGO headquartered at Dharampur, Gujarat. It is being carried out in the memory of seven-year-old Deyaan Udani, who gave a new lease of life to four and vision to two after his death, this year.

So far, they have succeeded in spreading the message via several corporates, colleges, etc. "There is lack of awareness among people. We plan to approach the city's taxi and auto rickshaw union to further spread the message of organ donation," said Nishant Vora, a Mumbai based volunteer.

Pic caption : Dabbawalas outside Lower Parel railway station.