Migrant labourers, walking or cycling home for kilometres, need something that is overlooked, proper slippers.

A Ranchi-based organisation, The Butterfly Project, recently donated 100 pairs of slippers to migrants who were crossing Ranchi on their way home to various villages of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The organisation is also trying to raise money to donate 1,000 more pairs.

Malavika Sharma, director of The Butterfly Project, told The Telegraph that most migrants’ feet had blisters and sores, some were bleeding.

“Many had been walking on highways in scorching heat. Many had on torn slippers. Many walked barefoot,” Sharma said. “Many people and organisations, including ours, have arranged food for migrants. But seeing their need, we decided to give them slippers.”

She added that The Butterfly Project has been working to help migrant labourers cross Ranchi to reach Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

“We started an online campaign on Milaap and raised Rs 4.6 lakh and an offline donation of direct rations worth around Rs 3 lakh. While we donated food and other things, slippers were a problem. Our field volunteers noticed this while interacting with the workers, and realised that workers need proper footwear. Labourers had bleeding feet or with boils that were truly painful to see,” she said.

The volunteers of the organisations ensured workers washed their feet with antiseptic water and then put on the new slippers.

“Walking with blistered feet and cracked heels is excruciatingly painful,” Sharma said. “After the first round we are trying to raise funds for at least 1,000 slippers. This effort is a first of its kind in Jharkhand. The Butterfly Project is continuing to work on providing relief materials and rations for daily wage earners during the lockdown,” she added.