Resource mobilisation refers to all activities an agency or organisation carries out to secure new and additional resources, be it financial, material or human. Mobilising resources is the need for the programme’s sustainability and advancement of its mission. Quilon Social Service Society (QSSS) is the official social development organisation of the Catholic Diocese of Quilon established to promote, facilitate, coordinate and conduct social action/ programmes for the emancipation and upliftment of the weaker sections, particularly those socially challenged and subjected to discrimination on the grounds of gender, caste, and creed. Ashakiranam Cancer Care Campaign is one of the major programmes carried out by QSSS, Quilon for the past 7 years. Through Ashakiranam, QSSS, Quilon is implementing many valuable programmes at the community level. Although awareness campaigns and patient care activities are being carried out at the forefront, QSSS also ensures to inculcate healthy food habits through volunteer work. The Ashakiranam Canteen programme is one of such noble initiatives by the DSSS.

Petty shops on school premises attract many children. The food items available at these stores are typically unhealthy for consumption affecting the well-being of young people and leading to the cause of many diseases.  It is the responsibility of the parents as well as the society to change the dietary habits s of children and replace them with good food to protect their health.

One of the aims of the Ashakiranam campaign is to introduce good food habits and help people and communities to develop and promote a nutritious food culture. A wide variety of safe food promotion campaigns are led by the DSSS partners in Kerala as part of the Ashakiranam Campaign. The Ashakiranam Canteen reaches out to people of all categories of social strata from schoolchildren to working professionals providing home-cooked food grown from organic farms and kitchen gardens, as part of safe food programmes. This initiative aims to foster a culture that focuses on sensitizing people to the health benefits of home-cooked food. Food items made in Ashakiranam canteens contain no added preservatives or processed fats. The food is prepared by community-level SHGs women and Ashakiranam Volunteers. The programme also creates awareness about the importance of leading a healthy life through abstention from junk food items. “Employees deliver food items such as samosas, vada, banana fritters, pickles and meals to the canteen. The best quality food items reach the canteen as the ingredients are sourced from home free from any artificial preservatives and are a collaborative effort by all” said Ms. Jincy, who works in the canteen as an employee.

The canteen employees are drawn from the families of cancer patients enrolled in the QSSS cancer care programme. Despite the fact that the menu includes food items such as ice-creams, ice candies and snacks the price of these items is kept constant in each canteen.

The canteen makes a monthly profit of Rs, 60,000 which is utilized for resource mobilization activities related to Ashakiranam cancer care programmes.

This also acts as an income generation programme without having to depend on external partners and sponsors. The school authorities and the PTA members look very favourably on these canteen activities, as they are implemented for the welfare of the children.

“These noble activities centred on schools are commendable. Both children and their parents have expressed their commitment to the initiative and are very proud of it. A few schoolteachers take their lunch daily from the canteen” said Mr. Sujit, HM, St. Aloysius HSS.

“The programme was piloted two years ago, with the idea of building a sustainable financial source for cancer patients, but due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was halted”, said Mr. Rineesh, the Ashakiranam DLO. Currently, four canteens are operational at three different schools in Quilon, including Infant Jesus Anglo Indian School, St. Aloysius HSS, and Trinity Lycem, employing individuals who were rendered unemployed due to the pandemic and those related to the cancer care programme. Currently, school canteen programmes serve as a resource mobilization source for Ashakiranam and QSSS intends to expand these canteen programmes to colleges as part of its overall strategy projection of income generation for the Campaign sustenance. Soon on 12th December Azeezia Medical College is planning to start up this initiative on their campus.

“Giving awareness on safe food programmes and encouraging individuals to participate and follow a lifestyle free of processed foods is viewed as a future goal. The Ashakiranam canteen programme enabled QSSS to develop a safe food culture among the school students and build sources of sustainable income to carry the campaign in light of the limitations of obtaining capital from different sectors” said Rev. Dr. Baiju Julian (Director, QSSS).