Behram Baug’s samaritan

"During the early days I was outside the (western suburban) colony gates buying vegetables when I saw many elderly people struggling with masks and shopping bags laden with onions and potatoes,” recalled Behram Baug resident Zeenobia Printer on June 30, 2020. She was referring to the lockdown imposed in the fourth week of March 2020 to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. "They were buying frantically, almost like kaalé nahi malsé tau su karsu [what will we do if we do not get (the vegetables) tomorrow].” Starting with the assistance of her husband Khurshed, the homemaker and part-time craftswoman took it on herself to buy the vegetables and distribute them to the Baug elderly with the help of volunteers.

Bread, eggs and milk were added to the list. Then came "other essentials and some non essentials…Come on…wafers and batasas are essential to us Parsis,” Zeenobia laughed. Her efforts to contact chicken supplier Zorabian bore fruit. "People were slowly encouraging us to do more and we continued to oblige,” she wrote in a note to Parsiana. Fresh fish from three vendors, chikoos and mangoes directly from farms, spices and pickles all followed. In the early stages, the elderly residents were not willing to pay the vendors directly, volunteer Cyrus Jogina added. "She paid on her own and then collected from the residents… now things are streamlined.”
"My day begins with preparation of tea for the municipal garbage van crew and some of the security staff members.” Zeenobia said. "Time just flies…Orders need to be compiled and coordination with vendors goes on throughout the day.” She encouraged home cooks to provide snacks and desserts, whose sales she coordinated. She picked up spices from the Parsi favorite Motilal Masalawala on a trip downtown to attend a funeral, she said.

The 11 buildings of Behram Baug comprise about 300 flats. Each of the buildings has its own committee, while the Behram Baug Welfare Association is the umbrella body. Besides Jogina, the other helpers include Rashna Chiniwala, Meher Khodaiji, Binaifer Amaria, Zarvan Elavia and Zerxes Khodaiji. The Irani family allowed Zeenobia to use their parking garage for distribution of items, she appreciated.
"Though the lockdown is now easing off, she intends to continue to help the elderly with her volunteers,” noted Jogina.
"I do it out of a sense of duty,” Zeenobia signed off.