Feeding The Needy Operation Sulaimani
Source : spicetreemunnar | Image Courtesy : townin   

The District Collector of Kozhikode, Kerala Sri. N. Prashanth announced ‘Operation Sulaimani’ – the concept is to get a food coupon that can be exchanged for free meals at designated hotels in the city.

The project ‘Operation Sulaimani’ seemed to be inspired by the Anjali Menon movie Ustaad Hotel. Sulaimani is a spice-mixed black tea which the Kozhikkodans drink after a meal, and even though initially the name was thought to be silly, the Collector said that because it was one word that connected the Kozhikkodans with the gentle act of sharing food with the hungry, this name was apt.

Operation Sulaimani is modelled on a system existing in western countries such as Coffee-on-Wall and Food-on-the-Wall, where you pay for an extra meal or coffee, said the district collector N Prasanth. The idea here was simple. A person paid for two beverages while he/she only consumed one. So, when a poor person walked into the place and if there was a ‘suspeso’ or a ‘tea on the wall’, they could redeem it. The essential idea of ‘Operation Sulaimani’ is also the same. But the difference is that it is happening on a larger scale, and with the co-operation of the District Administration and the Kerala Hotel and Restaurants’ Association.

How It Works

  • There are boxes kept at these restaurants and the contribution can be directly made there.
  • If you want to buy the coupons in bulk and distribute them, you can contact the Collector’s office.
  • If you want to contribute to the project on occasions of weddings, birthdays, anniversaries etc., you can contact the Collector’s office or the Secretary of KHRA.
  • You can receive the coupons from the Collectorate, taluk office, the village offices of Kozhikode – Kasaba, Nagaram, Valayanad, Chelavur, Panniyankara, Nellikkode, Vengeri, Kottuli, Kacheri, Puthiyangadi; and also from the Press Club. The name and address of the person will be noted down when the coupons are handed out so as to avoid misuse of the coupons.
  • There is no general fund collection for the project and the team is optimistic that there will be enough kind-hearted and generous minds to keep the project going.
The project was inaugurated on June 14, 2015 after a successful trial run of about 2 weeks, and has garnered support from people in all spheres – political, social, cinema etc. alike. In the long run, because the name and address of the people who redeem the coupons are noted down, there are plans to study the cause of why there are repeated redemption of the coupon by the same people, if at all there are any such cases, and find out ways to tackle it.
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Editor : The Logical Indian

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