Bangladesh's pandemic street kitchens

Charities are helping to solve the hunger problem in Bangladesh. Mehmankhana is one of them.

At the beginning of Covid-19, Bangladesh went into lockdown for two months. Many charities and groups tried to help people who lost their jobs. They provided free food, money and face masks. But after a year, many groups have stopped. Only a few charities are working. But many people are unemployed and have no food.

Asma Akhter Liza is an actress who started Mehmankhana. It's a street kitchen that feeds hungry children and adults on the streets.

Asma Akhter Liza: "You can tell the adults that there is no food, but how can you say the same to little children? In the past one and a half years, these children who come here have become our family."

The charity now feeds more than 2,500 people a day.

During the pandemic, poverty in Bangladesh increased to 40 percent. The government has spent $15 billion dollars to help the economy and reopened some factories. But many people are still unemployed.

Liza's brother Eraz Mahmudi lost his job, but he is now the chief chef for the charity.

Eraz Mahmudi: "I lost my job as a maintenance engineer at a garment factory during the first wave of the pandemic. I was idly sitting at home when my sister Liza called me to join this humanitarian work. I rushed here to join the programme. And started working as soon as I arrived."

People in the middle class now go to Mehmankhana for free food.

Mohammed Arif is an unemployed city bus driver.

Mohammad Arif: "This Mehmankhana is a blessing for people like us. At least we can eat without worrying for the next day. Before knowing about this place, I spent two days lying inside a parked bus, literally starving."

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