Covid Relief Activities

Covid 19 pandemic relief work and other support to communities

It was very tough experience reaching out to our communities. I never faced these problems before. Both the zones Patna and Vaishali were red zones as they found Covid 19 patients here. But we could manage to get food grains in Mahua block of Vaishali itself and the vehicle to distribute too.

We could support 760 families in the first phase of relief distribution. We distributed 7100 kgs of rice. We distributed 600 kgs of Dal to 710 families. We distributed 500 kgs of Wheat flour and 50 litres of cooking oil to 50 families. So we could actually reach out to 710+50=760 families.

We distributed 250 litres of cooking oil. 250 kgs of salt, 250 soaps, 250 bags to distribute things together to our children in the learning centres. They also got rice and Dal which is earlier mentioned. Our 250 centre children were our focus but we also included other 510 needy families for relief distribution.

This was first phase of Covid-19 relief distribution. Similarly, Parivartankendra has distributed COVID relief 3 more times with the help of COTE.

We Saw:

1. People returning home anyhow.
2. People without work
3. People without money and resources
4. People without food grains
5. People without any value as living beings/ human beings.
6. People whose human rights are violated
7. People sleeping hungry stomach.

It was a horrible experience. We feel that our communities are thrown back in time almost 200 years where slavery existed at peak. I strongly feel that our communities are facing a tough time and the coming time is going to be one of the hardest times. I feel a new form of slavery has taken birth where Covid 19 would be added to the earlier reasons for slavery. I feel the worst form of bonded labour is also taking place as people do not have work and would do anything to survive. I feel what people achieved after a long period of struggle in form of human rights, they are at stake which one can see happening in front of ones own eyes. This is quite hard time and can lead to worst for the communities if they are not oriented guided properly, if they do not get support, if they are not organized and united, if they are not vocal. They would face greater exploitation. So we at Parivartan Kendra, we have been holistic in our approach. This time has more encouraged us to think in a more holistic way. We are organising people. We have started documenting their problems in small films form. We would soon start editing and sharing with you. We are writing applications for entitlements i.e. benefits under government schemes. We want to ensure that they get food grains and work. We also want to ensure that there is no human rights violation of the children and the communities we work with. We also want to ensure proper health facilities to them.

A big challenge would appear when the government would announce opening of the schools. We might need to conduct a huge awareness campaign for hygiene and sanitation especially in regard to Covid 19.

We might need more support for distribution of relief material. We might need support for purchasing hygiene and sanitation products for the communities. We might need support to buy masks for the communities who does not have money to buy food.

I request you all to kindly find support for PK so that we can save people in our communities.