UPEI student studying remotely from Delhi gives out 2,000 ration kits as part of project

When Sidharth Dhar was asked to do a project for his MBA class at UPEI he knew right away what that project was going to be.

"When I got the details of the assignment it was very clear in my mind that I will be helping people in Delhi in terms of providing basic food," Dhar told Island Morning host Mitch Cormier.

The assignment was for his global leadership and ethics course last semester.

Although he is studying at UPEI, Dhar remains in Delhi, India, taking his university courses online. Being in Delhi as the second wave of the pandemic hit was part of what inspired the project.

He mobilized some of the employees from his craft retailing business to put together 2,000 kits, delivering them to some of the people in his home city that needed them most.

"I wanted to make sure I gave people what they actually need," he said.

That included rice, flour, pulses such as beans and lentils, cooking oil, salt, along with some seasonal vegetables and curry powder.

He also included soap, both personal and laundry, in the packages.

"Right now sanitary conditions have to be good, and that can help people come out of the pandemic," said Dhar.

"The people I was trying to help don't have access to these resources."

Careful planning in a dangerous environment

While his focus was on helping people, Dhar said it was a real learning experience.

It was not enough to want to help people and inspire others through his leadership to do the same. To ensure he was reaching the right people, and to keep everyone safe when Delhi was announcing 4,000 new cases of COVID-19 every day, required careful planning.

Dhar said his grandfather told him he should see the world through the eyes of the poor. When he delivered his packages he looked in the eyes of the poor and saw hunger, but that was not the only thing he saw.

"I saw hope," he said.

"I saw the willingness and determination to come out of this pandemic stronger and create a future better than what it was."

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